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“Moments like this are why I wanted to work in a zoo in the first place,” said Ellie Bland, the Chester Zoo’s ectotherms keeper
NEED TO KNOW
- The Chester Zoo recently released 32 Montseny brook newts at a secret site in Catalonia in an effort to save the critically endangered species
- “Their habitat is fragmented by roads, they are highly sensitive to water quality, and they face the constant threat of illegal wildlife trade,” Dr. Gerardo Garcia explained of the gold-speckled amphibians
- In addition to the newts that have been released, more than 100 are being cared for at the zoo, and 12 breeding pairs remain in specially designed breeding pods
The Chester Zoo is on a mission to save a highly endangered species of newt.
As part of an international effort to save the critically endangered Montseny brook newts from extinction, the U.K. zoo recently released 32 of the gold-speckled amphibians in a secret mountainous habitat in Catalonia as part of its breeding program.
“These newts are fascinating, and also quite cute. But they are extremely vulnerable,” Dr. Gerardo Garcia, an animal and plant director who has been involved with the Government of Catalonia’s Montseny Brook Newt Recovery Plan since its beginning, said in a news release shared with PEOPLE. “Their habitat is fragmented by roads, they are highly sensitive to water quality, and they face the constant threat of illegal wildlife trade.”
“Usually when numbers get this low, you’d expect genetic diversity to plummet,” he continued. “But research shows it’s surprisingly good. That gave us a strong foundation for the project.”
With only around 1,000 of the newts remaining in the wild, the Chester Zoo has worked with Catalan institutions to devise successful techniques to breed and monitor the species over the past nine years.
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Now, 32 of the animals have been released at a site that will remain a secret to protect the newts from any disturbances or diseases that can further devastate their populations.
Each of the animals has been given UV markers to track their movements and the success of the zoo’s reintroduction efforts.
In addition to the newts that have been released, more than 100 are being cared for at the zoo, and 12 breeding pairs remain under close observation in specially designed breeding pods.
“The females evolved to lay eggs in fast-running water, so they are experts at putting them in tiny hidden crevices — it’s not always easy to find them,” Ellie Bland, a keeper who oversees daily water checks and egg checks, explained in the release. “They’re quite quirky. They are visual hunters that target aquatic worms and insects — I pipette feed them, and they are very reactive to movement — so we have these huge eyes watching us while we work.”
While larvae are often spotted in the wild, scientists have found that they seemingly disappear before later re-emerging as mature adults.
According to the Chester Zoo, conservationists believe the primarily aquatic species may spend a portion of their lives hidden in an underground river system. Adults can grow to about 10 centimeters long and take five years to reach sexual maturity.
“It’s awesome seeing them swim free,” Bland went on to emphasize about the recently released newts. “Moments like this are why I wanted to work in a zoo in the first place.”
Read the original article on People
