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  "path": "/post/26458547",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-21T23:44:21.000Z",
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  "tags": [
    "Science",
    "Trying2KnowMyself",
    "0 comments",
    "https://phys.org/news/2026-05-zoo-historic-milestone-puerto-rican.html",
    "hexbear.net/post/8564043",
    "monitoring toads",
    "Wild Rounds with Dr. Mike",
    "brookfieldzoo.org/animals/puerto-rican-crested-toad"
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  "textContent": "submitted by Trying2KnowMyself to science\n18 points | 0 comments\nhttps://phys.org/news/2026-05-zoo-historic-milestone-puerto-rican.html\n\ncross-posted from: hexbear.net/post/8564043\n\n# Zoo reaches historic milestone for Puerto Rican crested toad conservation efforts with more than 12,000 tadpoles\n\n^The\\ Puerto\\ Rican\\ crested\\ toad\\ is\\ the\\ only\\ toad\\ native\\ to\\ Puerto\\ Rico\\ and\\ was\\ once\\ thought\\ to\\ be\\ extinct\\ in\\ the\\ wild.\\ Today,\\ the\\ species\\ persists\\ through\\ one\\ of\\ the\\ world’s\\ longest-running\\ amphibian\\ reintroduction\\ efforts\\ but\\ remains\\ listed\\ as\\ endangered\\ by\\ the\\ International\\ Union\\ for\\ Conservation\\ of\\ Nature\\ (IUCN).\\ Credit:\\ Brookfield\\ Zoo\\ Chicago^\n\nBehind the scenes at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, a record-breaking conservation milestone is helping secure the future of one of the world’s most imperiled amphibians. Months of meticulous care and coordination enabled Brookfield Zoo Chicago to successfully breed and raise 12,244 Puerto Rican crested toad tadpoles to be released in the wild, supporting species recovery efforts.\n\nThis marks Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s largest tadpole count from a single breeding cycle. Over the last decade, the Zoo has contributed nearly 40,000 Puerto Rican crested toad tadpoles to island-wide recovery efforts led by the Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy (PRCTC) in partnership with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and 16 accredited zoos and aquariums.\n\n“Conservation work like this can be incredibly detailed and time-consuming, but that’s what makes these milestones so meaningful,” said Mike Masellis, Brookfield Zoo Chicago lead animal care specialist.\n\n“From carefully coordinating breeding pairs to hand-counting thousands of tadpoles and tracking toads in the field, every step plays an important role in helping restore this species. Our hope is that years from now, some of these tadpoles will return to the breeding ponds as adults and continue establishing future generations in the wild.”\n\n(Click for video)\n\n^Behind\\ the\\ scenes\\ at\\ Brookfield\\ Zoo\\ Chicago,\\ a\\ record-breaking\\ conservation\\ milestone\\ is\\ helping\\ secure\\ the\\ future\\ of\\ one\\ of\\ the\\ world’s\\ most\\ imperiled\\ amphibians.\\ Months\\ of\\ meticulous\\ care\\ and\\ coordination\\ enabled\\ Brookfield\\ Zoo\\ Chicago\\ to\\ successfully\\ breed\\ and\\ raise\\ 12,244\\ Puerto\\ Rican\\ crested\\ toad\\ tadpoles\\ to\\ support\\ species\\ recovery\\ efforts\\ in\\ the\\ wild\\ led\\ by\\ the\\ Puerto\\ Rican\\ Crested\\ Toad\\ Conservancy\\ (PRCTC).\\ Credit:\\ Brookfield\\ Zoo\\ Chicago^\n\nThe Puerto Rican crested toad is the only toad native to Puerto Rico and was once thought to be extinct in the wild. Today, the species persists through one of the world’s longest-running amphibian reintroduction efforts but remains listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), threatened by the USFWS, and endangered by DRNA.\n\nPrimary threats include habitat loss, invasive species, rising sea levels, and saltwater intrusion into breeding wetlands. The last naturally occurring population remains in the Guánica Commonwealth Forest in southwestern Puerto Rico.\n\nEach year, breeding is carefully timed to align with Puerto Rico’s rainy season, when survival conditions are highest for tadpoles released into the wild.\n\nThe months-long process involves close coordination with conservation partners to manage recommended breeding pairs for population biodiversity and mimic seasonal environmental changes to encourage breeding behaviors.\n\nOnce counted and transported to Puerto Rico, tadpoles are placed into managed aquatic habitats where they are monitored through metamorphosis before dispersing into the surrounding landscape.\n\nLast fall, two Brookfield Zoo Chicago animal care specialists traveled to Puerto Rico to support the PRCTC’s field conservation efforts at a release site. Working alongside conservation partners, the team spent a week monitoring toads to better understand habitat use, predator pressures, and environmental conditions affecting survival after reintroduction.\n\nBrookfield Zoo Chicago currently cares for about 20 Puerto Rican crested toads, most of which are cared for behind the scenes as part of conservation efforts.\n\nEarlier this year, guests were able to see two of these toads on habitat in “The Swamp” for the first time, offering a new opportunity to connect with a species that has gained global recognition in recent years. Millions of fans were introduced to Puerto Rico’s only native toad as a visual part of Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny’s Grammy Award-winning album “DeBí Tirar Más Fotos.”\n\nGuests can learn more about Puerto Rican crested toads and Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s conservation efforts by visiting The Swamp, watching the latest episode of Wild Rounds with Dr. Mike, and exploring more at brookfieldzoo.org/animals/puerto-rican-crested-toad.",
  "title": "Zoo reaches historic milestone for Puerto Rican crested toad conservation efforts with more than 12,000 tadpoles"
}