Working Together for the Wyoming Toad 

By Mike Andrus, Amphibian Department Supervisor

Earlier this August, I traveled to Laramie, Wyoming, with Grace F., our amphibian department zookeeper at the Detroit Zoo who provides daily care for the Wyoming toads, to attend the annual Wyoming Toad SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) meeting. This gathering brings together zoo professionals from across the country, along with partners from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Wyoming Game and Fish Department, all dedicated to the recovery of one of North America’s most endangered amphibians – the Wyoming Toad (Anaxyrus baxteri).

This year’s meeting was especially meaningful as we finalized the Wyoming Toad SAFE Program Plan — a comprehensive document that will soon be available to the public on the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) website. The plan reflects years of collaboration and lays out the future direction of the program.

A large focus of our discussions centered around husbandry practices for the toads. We exchanged ideas on what’s working well and identified changes we can implement in the future to improve care and breeding success. We also looked ahead, planning for the long-term success of the program and setting goals for the coming years.

One of the most exciting updates came from USFWS. In 2025, the program’s partners collectively produced and released nearly 33,000 Wyoming toad tadpoles back into the wild — the largest release for this species ever. Seeing that kind of progress is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when organizations work together.

In addition to meetings and planning, we joined USFWS and Wyoming Game and Fish Department staff in the field to survey release sites. These surveys are vital for understanding how the population is doing. We were thrilled to find Wyoming toads of all ages, from full-grown adults to newly metamorphosed young toads — a hopeful sign that recovery efforts are making an impact. Some of these release sites are located on private lands, where landowners generously allow us to release animals and conduct surveys. Their willingness to share access to such ideal habitats is a crucial part of the toad’s recovery story and demonstrates how local communities play an essential role in conservation.

Having Grace along on this trip was especially valuable. As the zookeeper who directly cares for the species at the Detroit Zoo, she was able to share her expertise in the discussions while also experiencing firsthand how her daily work connects to the larger recovery of the species. It was an excellent opportunity for both contribution and professional growth.

Overall, the trip was a reminder of the strength of collaboration and the progress that can be made when zoos, federal agencies, local partners and private landowners come together with a shared mission. The Wyoming toad’s recovery is far from over, but every milestone — like this year’s record tadpole release — brings us one step closer to a stable wild population.