'Extinct' frog species found after 30 years
A species of frog thought to have been extinct for 30 years has been found in rural Australian farmland, officials said on Thursday.
The rediscovery of the yellow-spotted bell frog is a reminder of the need to protect natural habitats so "future generations can enjoy the noise and color of our native animals," said Frank Sartor, minister for environment and climate change.
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A fisheries conservation officer stumbled across one of the frogs in October 2008 while researching an endangered fish species in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales state.
The officer, Luke Pearce, said he had been walking along a stream trying to catch a southern pygmy perch when he spotted the frog next to the water.
Pearce returned in the same season in 2009 with experts who confirmed it was a colony of around 100 yellow-spotted bell frogs.
Image: This undated photo provided by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service shows a pair of Yellow-spotted Bell Frogs in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales state of Australia.
Text & Images: AP
