Over 250 Endangered Black-Bellied Toads Released Back Into Hula Valley Nature Reserve

More than 250 black-bellied toads, a species once thought extinct in Israel, were released into the Hula Valley Nature Reserve on Tuesday morning. These included about 250 tadpoles, 18 one-year-old toads, and 12 individuals still undergoing metamorphosis. The toads were bred in captivity at the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem and the Hula reserve, aiming to restore and expand the local population.

The black-bellied toad was considered extinct in Israel until 2011, when Yoram Malka, a veteran ranger at the Hula reserve, discovered a living specimen. The species had been declared globally extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 1996 due to habitat loss from the drying of the Hula wetlands. Since then, conservation efforts have established two breeding centers and dedicated habitats for the toads to thrive.

At the Biblical Zoo, researchers developed a specialized breeding program over the past three years, learning about the toads’ reproductive behavior, preferred environmental conditions, and diet. This work led to the successful breeding of over 500 captive-born toads. Ariel Kedem, the zoo’s nature conservation coordinator, highlighted the significance of this release as the first time captive-bred toads are being returned to the wild rather than taken from it.

Currently, an estimated 250 to 300 black-bellied toads live naturally in the Hula reserve. Authorities hope the newly released toads will bolster this population and help establish additional groups in the area. Visitors to the reserve are encouraged to come and observe the wildlife, though sightings of these elusive, nocturnal toads remain rare.

The toad’s name derives from its distinctive short, round tongue that cannot be extended and its black belly. The Israel Nature and Parks Authority continues to monitor the population and promote public awareness of this conservation success story.