Booroolong frogs return to north-west NSW waterways thanks to breeding program

Monday 2 MarchMon 2 Mar 2026 at 7:31pm

A smaller frog sits on the back of a large frog perched on a rock in water. — The name "Booroolong" originates from the Boorolong Creek near Armidale, according to NSW Environment and Heritage. (Supplied: Taronga Conservation Society Australia)

Hidden away in the scenic rolling hills of Nundle in north-west New South Wales, a group of animal conservationists waits until dark before making their next move.

It has been a long trip from Sydney, but an even longer journey for the 1,200 endangered frogs in the back seat of their car.

The team's job has only just begun as they prepare to set off into the dense surrounding bushland to carefully release the frogs into new homes.

"This is the most rewarding part of the whole project … we are jumping for joy," Taronga Zoo's Gemma Chaudhuri laughs.

Leaping into action

In the past three years, 1,500 Booroolong frogs have been released into the waterways near Tamworth, but this year is shaping up as the program's biggest yet.

The re-population project is a collaboration between the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), Taronga Conservation Society and a local ecologist.

Man stands at the boot of a car and looks at dozens of plastic containers with frogs in them. — The zoo has transported 1,500 Booroolong frogs to Nundle in the past three years. (Supplied: Taronga Conservation Society Australia)

The Booroolong frog is a medium-sized amphibian, growing no bigger than 5 centimetres, and is recognised by its greyish-blackish body colour and white underbelly.

Booroolong frogs were once commonly sighted throughout north-west NSW.

However, during the widespread drought between 2017 and 2019, the population was devastated.

"We work, year after year, to successfully breed and release these Booroolong frogs into an area that once they were common, but now considered locally extinct," Ms Chaudhuri says.

Two hands in white gloves holds a container by a waterway. — The frogs were separated into dozens of containers and transported from Taronga Zoo. (ABC New England North West: James Paras)

After six months in the lab, the frogs are separated into dozens of plastic containers filled with foliage and transported to Nundle.

The frogs bounce against the container's walls almost rhythmically as they are carried to new homes in the region's waterways and streams.

"They sound like popcorn when they bounce," Ms Chaudhuri says as she opens a container to release the frogs.

"Being able to breed them back at Taronga really gives them a head start and we can then release them when there is water around."

Gemma Chaudhuri looks into a plastic container filled with green foilage and smiles. — Gemma Chaudhuri packs the Taronga-bred Booroolong frogs for release. (Supplied: Taronga Conservation Society Australia)

DCCEEW threatened species officer Lachlan Thurtell says the frogs have the best chance of survival when released at night, giving them a better chance of evading the prying eyes of predators such as snakes and birds.

"We post-release monitor the frogs. We can spot them by their eye shine or their bodies," he says.

"We pick them up, give them a health check and see what their weight is, then we release them again and just take note of survival rates."

A young man holds two containers of frogs looking at the camera. — Lachlan Thurtell says the frog's size can make it hard to track survival rates. (Supplied: Taronga Conservation Society Australia)

Hopping back from extinction

Ecologist Philip Spark lives in nearby Tamworth and was the first to raise the alarm after studying the frogs for years.

"I was very aware the Booroolong frog was a threatened species. I had a personal interest in monitoring them and I started that in 2004," Mr Spark says as he sits at the edge of a creek.

Older man wearing a head lamp and wearing a checked shirt. — Philip Spark first noticed the decline of the local Booroolong frog population during a major drought. (ABC New England North West: James Paras)

"They were pretty numerous in those days … but when the severe drought hit, I realised there was a huge decline right there and then."

The frogs rely on the numerous water streams throughout the hills in Nundle; however, the extreme conditions essentially left the waterways bone dry.

"We managed to grab a sufficient amount to get the breeding project going, and lucky we did so; we can put them back again," Mr Spark says.

A snake's head pops up between two grey rocks. — The frogs are released under the cover of night, but predators such as snakes thrive in the same environment. (ABC New England North West: James Paras)

Mr Spark says the future of Booroolong frogs has completely changed thanks to the project.

"We have monitored these streams since 2019, when there was absolutely none. They were locally extinct," he says.

The Taronga Conservation team says it intends to keep breeding the frogs into the future, and post-release surveying will determine whether they need to return to Nundle.

"We are going to keep establishing them across a couple of streams across this region. Hopefully they will breed and re-establish themselves," Ms Chaudhuri says.