The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has flown threatened species experts into bushfire-affected areas of Kosciuszko National Park to assess the damage to the habitat of endangered Southern Corroboree frogs.
Minister for the Environment, Matt Kean thanked the ADF for safely and promptly delivering the experts to remote enclosures.
“Early inspections revealed that three of the four Corroboree frog sites were burned by the recent fires, with the fourth site still threatened by an active fire,” Mr Kean said.
“The team of experts evaluated populations of the critically endangered Southern Corroboree frog affected by the fires and began efforts to ensure the surviving frogs had adequate refuge sites and food,” he said.
“Unfortunately, there has been damage to the habitat inside the enclosures and also to the irrigation equipment, but luckily the fences surrounding them remained secure.”
Mr Kean said a number of the frogs had perished, so efforts were now focused on protecting the remaining frogs by reinforcing moist habitat refuges in the enclosures and ensuring there was enough food.
He said that while this was a set-back for the conservation of Corroboree frogs in the wild, the species remained secure with captive populations continuing to do well at Taronga Zoo, Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary.
