Joburg Zoo Conservation successfully returns Pickersgill’s reed frogs offspring back into their natural habitat

In a groundbreaking conservation feat, the Joburg Zoo’s Amphibian Conservation Project has successfully returned more than 400 captive-bred offspring of the rare and endangered Pickersgill’s reed frog back into their natural habitat.

The breeding programme got underway with a starter base of 20 frogs from two sites. The frogs were housed in specially designed laboratories at the Joburg Zoo and thanks to a group of passionate scientists and concerned conservationists, the frogs have been released into the luscious wetlands of KwaZulu-Natal’s north and south coasts.

“The success of this breeding programme demonstrates our commitment, contribution and passion for conservation, in particular for these prized amphibians, and we challenge Corporate South Africa to be part of this extraordinary project,” said Bryne Maduka, the managing director of Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo.

The conservation project was pioneered in partnership with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and the Endangered Wildlife Trust. The zoo’s team is currently drafting a detailed husbandry manual with all newly discovered information on Pickersgill’s reed frogs as well as specialised husbandry methods for more endangered species.

Scientifically known as hyperolius pickersgill, the tiny amphibians are endemic to South Africa and only found in KwaZulu-Natal, from Sezela in the south to St Lucia village in the north coast. About 2.5 cm in size, the males of the species are smaller than the females. Males and juveniles are brownish, while the adult females are bright green and are known to change colour throughout the day. The sound they make is best described as ‘crickety,’ and they thrive in marshy conditions.

Ian du Plessis, the Joburg Zoo curator who headed the conversation project to reintroduce the amphibians back into their natural habitat, said Pickersgill’s reed frogs, which occurred naturally in small pockets of KwaZulu-Natal, were classified as critically endangered a few years ago.

“But it has been through passionate and collaborative efforts of several determined people, organisations and with the government’s support that these little amphibians are now only classified as endangered, bringing them one step closer to being able to survive naturally in the wild,” added Du Plessis.

Marked with colour-coded and patterned frog markers, Pickersgill’s are easily identifiable and glow in the night. This natural feature helps scientists track and monitor them. Frogs, including the Pickersgill’s reed, are an important indicator species and play a vital role in safeguarding ecosystems such as feeding on malaria-carrying mosquitoes and maintaining a balance in biodiversity.

Like all amphibians, Pickersgill’s are an excellent biological pest controller and are also a good ecological indicator because they drink through their skin and are particularly susceptible to toxic changes in the environment, which have ramifications for other species, including humans.

Joburg Zoo was chosen as the breeding site for the programme after a decision to create a sustainable insurance population of endangered amphibian species for introduction and re-introduction initiatives and in the process acquired significant expertise in this field.

“The captive breeding programme has given the zoo more insight into the Pickersgill’s natural behaviour, assisting the team to understand the species better,” Maduka said.

He added that following their recent re-introduction into the wild, the frogs and their development would be closely monitored by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, supported by the Endangered Wildlife Trust.
Ezemvelo’s acting CEO, Ntsikelelo Dlulane said the re-introduction marked a significant milestone in improving the conservation status of Pickersgill’s reed frogs to ‘least concern’ and to advance its protection through conservation action.

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