Yosemite Celebrates the Release of the 10,000th Frog
A decade-long conservation effort has helped bring the California red-legged frog back to Yosemite National Park after the species disappeared from the valley for decades. Earlier this month, wildlife officials and conservation partners marked the occasion with the symbolic release of the program’s 10,000th frog in Yosemite Valley.
The recovery effort is led by the National Park Service in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Yosemite Conservancy, and San Francisco Zoo & Gardens.
The California red-legged frog — California’s official state amphibian and the largest native frog in the western U.S. — vanished from Yosemite Valley after invasive American bullfrogs and habitat disruption devastated the population. Elevated raccoon populations tied to historic open garbage sites also contributed to the decline. 
Over the past decade, park staff and conservation partners removed invasive bullfrogs, restored wetland and river habitat, and developed a captive-rearing program in San Francisco. Frogs raised from wild-collected eggs are released into Yosemite as juveniles, helping rebuild a now self-sustaining population.
“This milestone reflects years of focused work to restore a species that plays an important role in the park’s ecosystem,” said Yosemite aquatic ecologist Rob Grasso. Multiple generations of frogs are now established in Yosemite Valley.
Officials say the program has proven resilient through drought, flooding, and severe winters and is now being viewed as a model for amphibian recovery efforts elsewhere in California.
The symbolic 10,000th frog released during the May 7 event was nicknamed “Twain,” a nod to Mark Twain’s famous short story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.
Read the original CDFW release:
California Red-Legged Frog Recovery Reaches 10-Year Milestone in Yosemite
