Tanzania Journal of Science 45(4): 570-583, 2019 ISSN 0856-1761, e-ISSN 2507-7961 © College of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, 2019 Reintroduction of the Kihansi Spray Toad Nectophrynoides asperginis Back to its Natural Habitat by Using Acclimatizing Cages Charles A. Msuya1* and Nassoro Mohamed2 1Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation. University of Dar es Salaam. P. O. Box 35064, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 2Kihansi Catchment Conservation and Management Project, National Environment Management Council, Tanzania. *Corresponding author, e-mail: [email protected]; Co-author e-mail: [email protected] Abstract The Kihansi Spray Toad (Nectophrynoides asperginis) is considered to be extinct in the wild. Captive breeding populations exist in Bronx and Toledo zoos in USA and in two captive breeding facilities in Tanzania. Efforts to reintroduce the species back to its natural habitat at Kihansi Gorge wetlands have become a long process. Both ex-situ and in-situ experiments have revealed promising outcomes but when the toads are freely (hard) released in the wetlands they disperse widely and detection becomes difficult. Cages for acclimatising the toads before hard release have been constructed in two of the Kihansi Gorge spray wetlands. Factors such as density dependence, predators, food availability and diseases have been identified of concern to successful reestablishment of the species in its natural environment. The use of large cages (60 m2), close monitoring and partial control of the factors as a new approach has shown promising results at present and for future reintroduction processes of the Kihansi Spray Toad. Keywords: Kihansi Spray Toad, Reintroduction, Hard release, acclimatizing cages. Introduction zoos). In addition to that, an artificial sprinkler Kihansi Spray Toad (KST) is an system was installed in 2001 in three wetlands; ovoviviparous amphibian species in the family Upper Spray Wetland (USW), Lower Spray Bufonidae. This endemic species to Kihansi Wetland (LSW) and Mid-Gorge Spray Gorge was discovered in 1996 inhabiting a Wetland (MGSW) to mimic natural conditions unique habitat of wetlands created by spray and help restore the habitat (NORPLAN 2002, from the falls of the Kihansi River, within the Mtui et al. 2008). Environmental conditions Udzungwa Mountains in Tanzania (Poynton et improved and the KST population recovered al. 1998). Diversion of Kihansi River for quickly but the population declined hydropower production in 1999 greatly dramatically in the year 2003 until 2004 when reduced the flow of water from the initial 16 it was confirmed no individual toad existed in m3/s to less than 2 m3/s (NORPLAN 2002). the Kihansi Gorge wetlands (Msuya 2004). This caused desiccation of the wetlands and Various factors attributed to the decline, altered vegetation composition of the unique including habitat alterations and desiccation, habitat resulting into encroachment of the KST chytrid fungus, pesticides, and potential predators and forest plants to the wetlands predators such as safari ants and crabs (Carey (LKEMP 2004, Channing et al. 2006). In and Alexander 2003, Corn 2005, Channing et attempt to rescue the declining population of al. 2006). The Kihansi Spray Toad was then KST in-situ, a total of 499 toads were taken for declared extinct in the wild by the IUCN in captive breeding in USA (Bronx and Toledo 2009 (IUCN 2009). Fortunately, the spray toad 570 http://journals.udsm.ac.tz/index.php/tjs www.ajol.info/index.php/tjs/ Tanz. J. Sci. Vol. 45(4), 2019 survived and was prolific in captivity in USA chytrid test and collecting faecal for gut and in facilities constructed in Kihansi and Dar microbes overload analysis and treating when es Salaam, Tanzania, and therefore inspired necessary; natural disasters by placement of attempts to reintroduce the species back to its acclimatizing cages in areas not likely to be natural habitat in 2012. The Upper Spray affected by landslides and strong natural spray Wetland has been the main focus of from the falls. The 60 m2 size cages were reintroduction due to its relatively big size and designed to allow observers to walk in and had historically hosted about 89% of the spray conduct experiments freely without causing toad population (Poynton et al. 1998, World much damage to the cage environment and the Bank 2002). In October 2012, 2000 Kihansi released toads. Acclimatising the animals is Spray toads were freely reintroduced in the meant to be a compromise and intermediate Upper Spray Wetland (hard release). step between life in captivity where there is Succeeding reintroductions were carried out in husbandry and wild where natural life exists. the USW in March 2013 (1500 toads), February 2015 (1483 toads) and July 2016 Materials and Methods (700 toads). There has always been a shortage Cage design and construction of toads available in captive breeding facilities Three cages were designed with the aim of to meet the demand for experiments and controlling the area of dispersal of the released releases in the wild. Kihansi Spray Toads and to minimize The spray toads once hard released in the predation pressure. Two cages (Cage No.1 and wetlands disperse widely and therefore their Cage No. 2) were constructed in the Upper detection becomes difficult and their fate Spray Wetland (USW) and Cage No. 3 in the cannot be established (Tuberville and Lower Spray Wetland (LSW). Construction Buhlmann 2014, Ngalason et al. 2015). It was work started in early October 2016 and lasted therefore important to design acclimatizing for 6 weeks. The size of each cage is 10 m enclosures/cages that would limit dispersion length × 6 m width × 2 m height, covering an and control some factors that may have area of 60 square meters. Cages were designed attributed to poor survivorship of the released to accommodate 1000 animals and allow toads population. The main objective of the researchers to walk inside (Plate 1). Cage study was to successfully reintroduce the frames are made from ¾ inches galvanized Kihansi Spray Toad to its natural habitat steel water pipes fixed with “flexible joints” through controlling some of the known causes easy to set and dismantle when the need arises. of population decline after reintroductions. Cage walls and roof are covered with Acclimatizing cages were then constructed and aluminium wire mesh. The first 1/2 m of several factors were taken into consideration. height is enclosed by a fine aluminium wire The factors in consideration included; size of mesh of 1/16 inches to avoid toad lets from cage that could allow population density getting out while 1/8 inches aluminium wire between 17 and 23 animals per square meter mesh covers the entire 2 m height and roofing. (the historic density of KST in USW before The wire mesh prevents the toads from diversion of water); potential predators such as escaping and predators from entering, while crabs, snakes, spiders, driver ants, birds and allowing the preys for KST to enter. Three other frogs by screening and removing most of walkways with stepping stones were them from cages; food availability by constructed, one inside cage along the centre placement of cages in identified sites with high and two outside on both sides of the cage to density of prey and other food items and by minimize stamping on delicate soil and feeding the toads prior to their release; disease vegetation. prevalence by swabbing some animals for 571 Msuya and Mohamed - Reintroduction of the Kihansi spray toad by using acclimatizing cages Plate 1: Acclimatizing cage 1 in Kihansi Gorge Upper Spray Wetland. Habitat stabilization in cages due to inexperience in hunting wild food in Construction of cages had observable their first and second day after release. A negative impacts on habitat, especially second batch of 100 toads and third batch of vegetation and soil which provide microhabitat 969 toads from Bronx zoo were introduced in for toads and micro-invertebrates food for cage 2 in the USW on 19th November 2016 KST. It was necessary to leave the cage and 11th December 2016, respectively. Twenty environment to stabilize for at least 2 weeks, to five percent of adult toads of the second and allow for vegetation recovery and invertebrates third batches were marked with orange and population to stabilize. Search and removal of green elastomers, respectively. potential predators (crabs, spiders, snakes and Day and night monitoring were conducted other amphibians) continued during for seven days after release; thereafter construction and stabilization of cages. Special monitoring frequency was reduced to every funnel traps for crabs were designed and made three days for the following three weeks. After locally from 1/8th inch aluminium wire mesh four weeks of close monitoring, the number of and five traps were set in each cage. Large and the toads in cages continued to be checked small crabs were hand collected or trapped and once every two weeks. Monitoring protocols were frequently removed from the cages involved 2 observers inside cage walking before introducing the toads. along middle walkway then to the outside to observe animals that could not be spotted from Introducing spray toads in cages and the inside middle walkway. Counting of the monitoring toads was conducted for at least one hour. The first batch of 892 spray toads from Number of toads observed was often higher Toledo Zoo was received in the Kihansi Gorge during the night than day; therefore after seven on 28th October 2016, of which 25% of adult days of close monitoring, the protocol was toads were marked with a red elastomer colour restricted to nights only. Microclimate to help identifying the cohorts and source of conditions, mainly temperature and relative the animals. Animals were kept in temporary humidity were automatically recorded by using cages inside the wetland and were fed with a HOBO mobile Data logger Version 1.4.2, fruit flies Drosophila sp for 3 hours prior to Model MX1101 mounted in water protection release to the acclimatizing cages.