The Bobcat Fire did more than char nearly 116,000 acres of vegetation and destroy some 170 homes and other structures as its aftermath threatens the habitats of many federally endangered species and biologists are trying to relocate them before winter storms and mud destroy their homes, it was reported Monday.
Among the species in need of relocation are mountain yellow-legged frogs, the Los Angeles Times reported. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey Wednesday caught 50 tadpoles in Little Rock Creek to be housed at the Los Angeles Zoo and 15 frogs. They had permits to catch more but cold weather sent the adults into hiding, the Times reported.
The frog rescue mission followed the effort by state and federal biologists who moved 150 federally endangered unarmored threespine stickleback fish that had previously been relocated due to the 2016 Sand fire in Soledad Canyon.
Critics said the wildlife agencies are acting in a panic instead of making long-term plans to deal with the reasons the fish are endangered, such as urbanization, disease, and nonnative predators.
The state and federal wildlife agencies have received permits to rescue 21 western pond turtles from the West Fork of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and take them to the San Diego Zoo, the Times reported.
