Gold Coast Airport is helping to save a critically endangered frog species through its longstanding partnership with Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

The airport is a founding partner of the Sanctuary’s conservation efforts, including the Kroombit Tinkerfrog recovery program, which aims to release genetically diverse captive bred frogs into the wild to repopulate sites where the species has gone extinct.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary was the first organisation in the world to successfully breed the critically endangered Kroombit Tinkerfrogs and through this partnership has successfully completed its first release of 26 frogs into the wild at Kroombit Tops National Park, just inland of Gladstone.

“The wild frog population is being monitored with bio-acoustic recorders, which have so far indicated that the initial release was a success,” said Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Amphibian Specialist Michael Vella.

“There's a lot more work to do to save this species from extinction, and we can't do it alone,” he said.

Queensland Airports Limited’s Chief Strategy, Sustainability and People Officer Shannon McFadden said Gold Coast Airport was proud to support Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in these conservation efforts.

“It is wonderful to hear how our funding has helped advance the technology in the Frog Lab, increasing the standards and accuracy of water testing, improved equipment sterilisation, and temperature monitoring – delivering better results in this conservation effort,” Ms McFadden said.

“As an airport operator we know the natural environment on the Gold Coast and in Queensland is what attracts many visitors to this beautiful state – and we take seriously our role in helping to conserve that environment to ensure a sustainable future and so that it’s here for many years to come,” she said.

“Around 25 per cent of Gold Coast Airport’s 371 hectares is dedicated to conservation through the Cobaki environment precinct and we are keen to continue our long partnership with Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary to further protect and improve the natural flora and fauna of the area.”

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s Frog Lab is currently holding around 130 captive bred Kroombit Tinkerfrogs destined for future releases to the wild, with hopes to release another 30 this summer pending weather conditions.

"We are so grateful for the support from Gold Coast Airport. Without corporate partners, projects such as our Kroombit Tinkerfrog breed for release program would not be possible,” Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Head of Life Sciences and Conservation Programs Anthony Molyneux said.

“Research and conservation programs like this are vital to the future of not just one species, but potentially the entire environment that they live in. Once a species is extinct, it is gone forever, but we still have time if we all work together with great partners such as Gold Coast Airport," he said.

Vision of Kroombit Tinkerfrog Release here: https://youtu.be/c6doqdaDqS0

‍