NORTHERN LEOPARD
Frog Project
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Valley Zoo Development Society
The Valley Zoo Development Society (VZDS) is a registered charity and friend of the Edmonton Valley Zoo (EVZ). The VZDS is proud to take a lead role in the EVZ’s stunning transformation into a special place that inspires love and learning of the natural world.
Impact of Your Support
Children are fascinated by the natural world, especially by animals. By providing them with a fun setting where they can learn about animals & nature, we can create life-long ambassadors for the long-term health of our planet.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATION!
Northern Leopard Frog Project
Status: COMPLETE!
Budget: $250,000
Opened: 2019-Ongoing
While frogs have been part of the landscape for at least 250 million years, they have experienced mass extinction since the 1970s. Once found in abundance across Alberta wetlands and British Columbia, the Northern Leopard frog is no exception.
The Northern Leopard frog population of British Columbia— known as the Rocky Mountain population— is listed as Endangered. The only surviving native population is currently protected within the wetlands of the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area. Northern Leopard frogs of Alberta are known as the Prairie population and are listed on the Alberta Endangered Species List as “Special Concern.” They are no longer found in the Edmonton Area.
In 2019, the Edmonton Valley Zoo has joined the Northern Leopard Frog Recovery Team to help save the last remaining population in British Columbia!
Project Highlights
The Valley Zoo Development Society raised over $250,000 to assist in these efforts. This vital funding was used to:
Conservation: Build THREE outdoor habitats, new coolers for winter hibernation, and to hire an onsite biologist to research ways to ensure the program would be successful.
Education: Construct a play and interpretive area between the trailer and the outdoor habitats so kids can enjoy an experiential learning, and a game of Hop Scotch Frog!
Ongoing Work
The Edmonton Valley Zoo is a member of the Northern Leopard Frog Recovery Team, working together to prevent the local extinction of the Rocky Mountain Leopard Frog. The Team is working to do this by:
- Establishing new self-sustaining populations of reintroduced northern leopard frogs at a minimum of 3 interconnected wetlands in British Columbia
- Conducting conservation research to improve captive breeding and reintroduction success
- Maintaining captive assurance populations at the Edmonton Valley Zoo, Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, and the Vancouver Aquarium as insurance against catastrophic extinction of the species in the wild
- Engaging and inspiring children and adults in northern leopard frog and wetland conservation
