Maryland Zoo helping rebuild population of critically endangered Panamanian golden frogs

Golden glowing frog sitting on mossy branch with sparkling light in rainforest

After facing extinction, the critically endangered Panamanian golden frogs are one step closer to being released back into the wild. The species has not been seen in the wild in more than 20 years. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is taking steps to help the species rebuild its population. The golden frogs are being moved from indoors to a carefully monitored open-air enclosure. If this is successful, the ultimate goal is to eventually reintroduce them into the wild.

The study is led by local conservation teams at the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center Foundation (EVACC) with support from the Maryland Zoo, Fort Worth Zoo, Detroit Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, Seneca Park Zoo, and Project Golden Frog – the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan© (SSP) for the Panamanian Golden Frog. “It is incredibly exciting to see the efforts we have made over the past two decades to keep this species healthy in both North America and Panama now moving closer to a day when they are back in the wild in the El Valle de Anton region,” said Ellen Bronson, the senior director of Animal Health, Conservation, and Research at the Maryland Zoo.

Zoo officials say that the new outdoor study, conducted in shaded, screened enclosures, is the cautious next step in understanding how to safely return the Panamanian golden frogs to their native habitat. According to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the Panamanian golden frogs have toxic skin that produces tetrodotoxin and a unique compound called zetekitoxin, which contains enough toxins to kill 1,200 mice. 

Source: Maryland Zoo helping rebuild population of critically endangered Panamanian golden frogs – CBS Baltimore

Judge not, that you be not judged.
Matthew 7:1

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Extreme heat expected to cover Southeast Michigan next week. What to know.

silhouette of women during sunset

Extreme temperatures are on the horizon in Southeast Michigan, setting the stage for a prolonged and dangerous heat wave next week. High temperatures beginning Monday will reach 90 degrees, and starting Tuesday will exceed this level.  From Tuesday through Friday, highs will be in the mid- to upper 90s each day, with dew points in the 70s. At levels like this, the heat index reached dangerous levels for those of us in southeast Michigan. We simply do not see heat like this often, and a heat wave of this level is quite rare. The heat index from Tuesday through Friday will be well above 100 degrees, potentially reaching 110 on Wednesday and Thursday. 

As a matter of fact, both Wednesday and Thursday could potentially reach near 100 degrees for the air temperature. If they both make it, this would be the first consecutive 100-degree days since the 1980s. The heat risk from the National Weather Service is classified as “extreme” due to its rarity, prolonged nature, and the difficulty of recovering from heat without air conditioning. That is the biggest issue: the continuous nature of the excessive heat and humidity. Your body cannot cool itself off without some external cooling source in temperatures and heat indices like we will see next week. This is where breaks in the air conditioning are extremely important; fans alone will not work. Because there is so much moisture in the air, your sweat will not evaporate fast enough to naturally cool your body. At this point, both heat exhaustion and heat stroke become a concern.

In a heat wave like the one we should see next week, heat exhaustion can occur in as little as 15 minutes with direct, continuous heat and work. To recover from that much exposure, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 45 minutes of air conditioning time. Staying hydrated is also key, so make sure to drink plenty of water. The NEXT Weather Team has labeled Tuesday through Friday as NEXT Weather Alert Days due to the hazards. Stay with the weather team for updates as we continue to monitor the heat and associated risks.

Source: Extreme heat expected to cover Southeast Michigan next week. What to know. – CBS Detroit

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1

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City officials consider all options to reduce deer population in Beverly Hills, Michigan

three white tailed deer grazing in dover tennessee

Deterrents, deer hunting or trapping, and even deer birth control are among the options city officials are considering to lower the deer population in Beverly Hills.  “First and foremost problem we have is safety– we’re concerned we’re going to start seeing more car-deer accidents,” said Edward Arnold, the director of public safety for Beverly Hills.  Arnold said deer in the area like to make a feast of people’s gardens and tend to cross the street whenever they feel like it. He said that they can also be aggressive. “We had some reports that the deer would start to stomp with their hooves and then actually trotted after a person one time– someone said that it chased them and their dog back into their house,” Arnold said.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources spoke with local officials and residents earlier this month to outline their options, from trapping or hunting the deer to deterrents like wire to cover plants, to trapping and then sterilizing the deer so they can’t reproduce.  “The option might be education and promoting coexistence, and that might be the answer for their community if the goal is to reduce deer-vehicle collisions because they’ve seen an increase that would then lend itself to some sort of lethal management option,” said Kara Colton, a wildlife biologist with the DNR.  Arnold said that it is possible to have a firearm hunt within village limits. There would be restrictions on the time and place where hunters could discharge their firearms. Another option is an archery hunt.  He said village officials are considering all the options and will probably discuss them well into the summer.  “They’re going to want to have several more meetings; they’ll be public meetings, so residents are encouraged to come there and voice their opinion.

Source: City officials consider all options to reduce deer population in Beverly Hills, Michigan – CBS Detroit

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
Isaiah 40:28

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