Ex situ program progress

Ex situ program progress


Species		Litoria booroolongensis
Region where the program is based		Oceania
The country or countries where this program is based		Australia
The authority that recommended this species for an ex situ program		Mandate by national conservation authority
Has a genetic analysis been performed on wild populations to define the target taxon, i.e., verify that single, viable Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESU's) that are managed as separate populations, are not confounded by cryptic species or polymorphisms?		Currently underway
If the answer to ESU is No, then there should be an entry for the needs in the Conservation Projects list. This is a link to the project.
Name of the institution(s) managing the ex situ population		Taronga Zoo
The year that the program started		2007
Is at least some portion of the captive population maintained in range country?		Yes
Are sufficient resources available to manage the ex situ population?		Yes
If additional financial resources are required then then there should be an entry for the needs in the Conservation Projects list. This is a link to the project.
Are adequate numbers of skilled staff available with the appropriate ex situ amphibian experience?		Yes
If additional staff training/expertise is required then then there should be an entry for the needs in the Conservation Projects list. This is a link to the project.
Is sufficient space available for the required population size?		Yes
If additional facilities are required then then there should be an entry for the needs in the Conservation Projects list. This is a link to the project.
Has a Taxon Management Coordinator for the ex situ population been appointed?		Yes
Name of the Taxon Management Coordinator		Michael McFadden
Taxon Management Coordinator’s institution		Taronga Zoo
Taxon Management Coordinator’s email address		mmcfadden@zoo.nsw.gov.au
Has a Taxon Management Group or Recovery Team been established?		No
Names and institutions of Taxon Management Group members
Has a Taxon Management Plan, Recovery Plan or Species Action Statement been written?		Yes
Web link to Taxon Management Plan		Currently in draft format
Have Husbandry Guidelines been written?		No
Web link to Husbandry Management Guidelines
Have any knowledge gaps in the species biology or in their interaction with potential threats been identified that could benefit from research using the ex situ population?		Yes
List of any knowledge gaps		Affect of chytrid fungus on this species. Research into this topic and immunity of this species is being undertaken in a joint project between James Cook University, Taronga Zoo and the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage.
Have founder needs been calculated using the AArk Amphibian Population Management Guidelines?		No
Have sufficient potential founders been collected?		Yes
If sufficient founders have not been collected, is there an ongoing search for additional founders?
The number of potential founders that were collected (males, females and unsexed).		15 Males : 15 Females
Is the ex situ population managed by nationals from the range country?		Yes
What tools are used to maximize retention of gene diversity?		None
Has the population produced viable offspring?		Yes
Have the first generation captive-bred animals bred successfully?		Yes
Is the ex situ population housed in permanent isolation from other populations occurring outside its range?		Yes
Is work being supported to study and mitigate threats to the species in the wild, either by the institution or by a regional wildlife agency?		Yes
Have captive-bred or captive-reared animals been released into the wild?		Yes
If releases were undertaken, have disease screening protocols or veterinary health checks been conducted prior to releases to the wild?		Yes
Is follow-up work being carried out to monitor progress of the released animals?		Yes
Is the taxon again secure in the wild, even if it might still require some ongoing in situ management? i.e., has the need for a captive assurance population been obviated such that we can call this a successfully terminated captive rescue program?		No
Comments		Preliminary results from this program can be found in the following publication - McFadden, M., D. Hunter, P. Harlow, R. Pietsch and B. Scheele. 2010. Captive management and experimental re-introduction of the Booroolong Frog on the South Western Slopes region, New South Wales, Australia, pp 77 – 80 in Soorae, P. S. (ed.) GLOBAL RE-INTRODUCTION PERSPECTIVES: Additional case-studies from around the globe. IUCN/SSC Re-introduction Specialist Group, Abu Dhabi, UAE.