Durrell's conservation work in Montserrat

The small, mountainous island of Montserrat is home to the mountain chicken frog, the island's largest terrestrial predator.

When the deadly fungal disease chytridiomycosis, or chytrid, appeared on Montserrat in the Caribbean in 2009, it threatened the future of all amphibians on the island. The mountain chicken frog was already at risk after a volcanic eruption caused devastating habitat loss in 1999, and when chytrid spread across the island, 99% of the population was lost.

We coordinate the Mountain Chicken Recovery Programme in Monserrat, working to save this frog from extinction through captive breeding, release, and intensive management of their health and habitat.

Mountain chicken frog sits under a rocky ledge

99%

wild population lost

1997

Durrell's work starts

2011

first captive bred frogs released

Our conservation work

What we're doing to help in Montserrat

A safety net population of mountain chickens

99% of the mountain chicken population was lost due to the deadly fungal disease, chytridiomycosis, also known as chytrid.

What we're doing to help

When the disease hit Montserrat in 2009, 50 frogs were rescued to establish a captive population to ensure the species was not lost forever. Our team in Montserrat also study the behaviour of captive mountain chickens to better understand the best methods of protecting their wild counterparts.
Safe havens for endangered frogs

There is currently no known method for eradicating chytrid from the wild, so we had to come up with a mechanism that enables mountain chickens to live alongside the fungus.

What we're doing to help

Chytrid cannot survive in temperatures above 30°C, so the team created temperature-controlled, semi-wild enclosures with artificially-heated ponds where the frogs can bathe to cure themselves of the disease.
Monitoring wild populations

Such a threatened species needs careful monitoring to ensure the safety of the population.

What we're doing to help

Our team in Montserrat carry out regular population surveys of mountain chickens to assess their numbers. Regular screening for disease also helps the team to understand the health of the population as well as the prevalence of chytrid.
Helping amphibian species worldwide

Chytrid does not just affect amphibians in Montserrat. The disease continues to destroy populations of amphibians around the world.

What we're doing to help

Thanks to the successful management of mountain chickens in Montserrat, the project team have created a base model that can be used to protect amphibians around the world.

Our partners

Montserrat’s Department of Environment | Zoological Society of London (ZSL) | Chester Zoo | Nordens Ark | Dominica’s Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division.

Donors

Darwin Plus

Species we're helping

Mountain chicken frog

Mountain Chicken Recovery Programme

Find out more about the Mountain Chicken Recovery Programme, coordinated by Durrell and in partnership with Montserrat’s Department of Environment, Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Chester Zoo, Nordens Ark, and Dominica’s Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division.

Find out more

Saving Amphibians From Extinction (SAFE)

Amphibians are by far the most threatened group of vertebrate species. The SAFE programme integrates our zoo, training, field and science departments to deliver a series of integrated species recovery projects, alongside providing support to optimise the effectiveness of regionally-based conservation partners in Madagascar, Tropical Andes, Caribbean and, in the future, Brazil and Sri Lanka

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Montserrat

The small, mountainous island of Montserrat is home to the mountain chicken frog, the island's largest terrestrial predator.

Our conservation work

What we're doing to help in Montserrat

A safety net population of mountain chickens

99% of the mountain chicken population was lost due to the deadly fungal disease, chytridiomycosis, also known as chytrid.

What we're doing to help

When the disease hit Montserrat in 2009, 50 frogs were rescued to establish a captive population to ensure the species was not lost forever. Our team in Montserrat also study the behaviour of captive mountain chickens to better understand the best methods of protecting their wild counterparts.

Safe havens for endangered frogs

There is currently no known method for eradicating chytrid from the wild, so we had to come up with a mechanism that enables mountain chickens to live alongside the fungus.

What we're doing to help

Chytrid cannot survive in temperatures above 30°C, so the team created temperature-controlled, semi-wild enclosures with artificially-heated ponds where the frogs can bathe to cure themselves of the disease.

Monitoring wild populations

Such a threatened species needs careful monitoring to ensure the safety of the population.

What we're doing to help

Our team in Montserrat carry out regular population surveys of mountain chickens to assess their numbers. Regular screening for disease also helps the team to understand the health of the population as well as the prevalence of chytrid.

Helping amphibian species worldwide

Chytrid does not just affect amphibians in Montserrat. The disease continues to destroy populations of amphibians around the world.

What we're doing to help

Thanks to the successful management of mountain chickens in Montserrat, the project team have created a base model that can be used to protect amphibians around the world.

Our partners

Donors

Species we're helping

Mountain Chicken Recovery Programme

Saving Amphibians From Extinction (SAFE)

Where we work

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