By The Star Staff
The organization Citizens of the Karst (Ciudadanos del Karso, or CDK, in Spanish) has signed an agreement with the Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy (PRCTC) to establish, for the first time in Puerto Rico, a breeding center for the crested toad, an endangered species.
“With this new agreement with the Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy, Ciudadanos del Karso reaffirms its commitment to the conservation and reproduction of this endemic and endangered species,” said Abel Vale, president and founder of CDK, in a written statement. “By being able to reproduce the Crested Toads in a dedicated and specialized center for such purposes, the reproduction rate can be increased, compared to what zoos can provide.”
Since 1980, the PRCTC has conducted captive breeding of the crested toad in zoos in the United States and Canada. The tadpoles are then transferred to reserves in Puerto Rico for reintroduction. Since 2006, CDK, the PRCTC and the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources have worked to conserve the species by releasing tadpoles in Arecibo’s El Tallonal nature reserve.
The new breeding center will be located on 1.5 acres of land in the Dominguito neighborhood of Arecibo, near the nature reserve and Mata de Plátano Field Station. The area has mogotes (steep-sided limestone hills) and native forests that serve as a natural habitat for the crested toad and other endangered species.
Construction of the center is scheduled to begin this year, with the goal of expediting the reproduction and reintegration of the crested toad into its natural environment. For more information about the project, interested parties can visit https://cdk-pr.org/estacion-de-campo-mata-de-platano-2/.
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