Over 250 Black-Bellied Toads Released into Hula Nature Reserve in Conservation Effort

More than 250 black-bellied toads, a species once considered extinct, were released into the Hula Nature Reserve as part of a conservation project led by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem. The toads were bred in captivity at the zoo's breeding center, established to restore the rare species' population. The release included approximately 250 juvenile toads, 18 one-year-old frogs, and 12 individuals still undergoing metamorphosis, all expected to join the existing population in the reserve.

The black-bellied toad's story is a notable conservation success in Israel. In 2011, a live specimen was discovered in the Hula Reserve by Nature and Parks Authority ranger Yoram Malka, after the species had been declared extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 1996. This discovery led to the creation of two breeding centers, one at the Hula Reserve and another at the Biblical Zoo, aimed at preserving and increasing the species' numbers.

Over the past three years, the zoo developed a dedicated research and breeding program to understand the toads' preferred habitat conditions, including water temperature, vegetation, and diet. This effort resulted in the successful breeding of over 500 toads in captivity. Ariel Kedem, the zoo's nature conservation coordinator, highlighted the challenge and satisfaction of learning about the toads' behavior and establishing a functional breeding population. For the first time this year, the zoo is releasing captive-bred toads back into the wild rather than capturing them from natural populations.

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority expressed hope that the released toads will successfully integrate into the reserve and contribute to the recovery of this elusive and rare species in Israel. The project also aims to establish new populations in additional locations in the future.