(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZoo) posted that in early June, a group of volunteers and conservation experts gathered to release hundreds of Wyoming toads back into their native habitat.

Wyoming toads are critically endangered and the only place in the world where they live is Wyoming’s Laramie Basin.

According to CMZoo, there is a global decline in the amphibian population, due to pesticides, drought, and a deadly fungus, called Chytrid, which prevents amphibians from absorbing water and breathing through their skin. Wyoming toads help control insect populations and are a crucial food source for birds, fish, aquatic invertebrates, and other animals.

The project aims to bolster the Wyoming toad population by releasing toads that conservationists hope will breed in the wild. Around 200 of the toads were raised at CMZoo, and on the day of release, they were transported in tubs from the conservation center to Laramie Basin.

This and other conservation projects are made possible through the support of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo guests and members. According to CMZoo, over $5 million has been raised for conservation through the Quarters for Conservation program. In this program, 75 cents of every admission is dedicated to conservation efforts, and guests can choose their preferred project by inserting tokens into slots in kiosks located in the zoo’s admissions plaza.

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