Programme sees Kihansi spray toads back in natural habitat

Thousands of Kihansi spray toads have been reintroduced to their native habitat, after being declared extinct in the wild in 2009.

The toads, which are the size of a thumbnail, are only found in the 'spray meadows' at the base of the Kihansi Falls in Tanzania. The construction of a dam nearly destroyed the habitat, contributing to the species' downfall, as well as the emergence of the disease amphibian chytrid fungus.

A breeding programme, aided by Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC), has enabled the release of 2,500 toads over two days in the waterfall spray of Kihansi.

Ana Denman of GWC said: "This represents the first reintroduction of an amphibian species that has been declared extinct in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)."

The Kihansi spray toads are unusual in that females give birth to tiny froglets, rather than swimming tadpoles.

Claude Gascon, co-chair of the IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group, said: "The success story of the small Kihansi Spray Toad can teach us big lessons for the future of biodiversity conservation.

"While amphibians and other species are incurring severe threats to their survival, it is never too late to use the best science and conservation action to save a species and its habitat."