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ROYAL OAK, Mich., December 24, 2007 – The Detroit Zoo’s breeding program for the federally endangered Wyoming toad is No. 1 on the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) list of the Top 10 wildlife conservation success stories for 2007. The annual list recognizes the efforts of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums to protect wild animals and, in the Zoo’s case, bring them back from the brink of extinction.
“We appreciate the recognition of our professional association and congratulate all other institutions for their efforts to ensure the survival of endangered wildlife,” said Detroit Zoological Society Executive Director Ron Kagan.
Once abundant in the wetlands and irrigated meadows of Wyoming’s southeastern plains, the Wyoming toad (Bufo baxteri) was listed as extinct in the wild in 1994. The Detroit Zoo was acknowledged by the AZA for producing 40 Wyoming toadlets this year through a collaborative captive breeding program with other AZA-accredited zoos as well as federal and state agencies.
The breeding partnership has successfully released more that 6,000 tadpoles, toadlets and toads in Wyoming since the program’s inception in 1995. Recovery efforts seem to be paying dividends; conservationists this summer discovered the first clutch of Wyoming toad eggs found in the wild in 10 years.
In 2008, the Detroit Zoo will celebrate all things amphibian – frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and caecilians – as part of the global conservation community’s “Year of the Frog.” The worldwide campaign will shine the spotlight on endangered amphibians and the critical work being done by zoos and aquariums to save them. The Zoo will support the initiative with a yearlong public awareness campaign featuring “Year of the Frog” events, fundraising activities, educational opportunities and community outreach efforts.
The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo. Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak. The Detroit Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October. Admission is $11.00 for adults 13 to 61, $9.00 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7.00 for children ages 2 to 12; children under 2 are free. For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org. The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks. For more information, call (313) 852-4056.
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