Some VIP tiny animals are being closely monitored and cared for by Northwest Trek Wildlife Park zookeepers Chelsea and Kameron.
Their charges started out looking like a gooey cluster of chia seeds when they arrived from Grant County earlier this spring. Soon, those tiny black “seeds” sprouted pointy dorsal fin tails, and their little bodies morphed into plump ovals with small eyes. They were hungry, mobile, and thriving in large black aquatic tanks carefully managed by Chelsea and Kameron.
If everything goes smoothly, these little ones will grow into northern leopard frogs and be released back to Grant County later this summer — the only place in the state where a native population of the endangered frogs still calls home.
“It was incredible to see a culmination of the entire season come to that point – a surreal moment,” said Chelsea, who helped raise hundreds of the frogs last year and was present for their release near Moses Lake. “These animals start off as little chia seeds. And then they grow, and you watch them grow. They go from these helpless little dots to full-fledged animals that can hunt by themselves, fend for themselves, and protect themselves. And you release them into the wild.”
But first, their keepers must ensure the tadpoles grow into froglets that will absorb those pointy tails and sprout legs and eventually turn into brownish-green frogs with roundish dark spots, like a leopard. They even work on creating, for lack of a better word, frog “furniture” for the creatures to get out of the water and relax in the sun.
The keepers explained that the job is important and very science-driven and chemistry-driven. If you’ve ever had a goldfish and tried to keep the water conditions just right, imagine that on a much larger scale.
The duo began raising about 400 tadpoles, about 100 per tank among four tanks. An additional four tanks served as reservoirs. The keepers closely monitor and maintain the PH levels, temperatures, good bacteria, nitrogen cycle, oxygen levels, and overall conditions of the tanks. Plus, the tanks are covered and protected so critters (birds, snakes, and more) can’t get in, and the animals, which will eventually be frogs, can’t get out. All this work is happening behind the scenes from the public, and part of the wildlife conservation efforts that are fundamental to Northwest Trek’s mission.
Kameron was busy preparing dinner for his charges with the love of a doting caregiver. Instead of chicken nuggets and a smoothie, he was serving a bit of blanched romaine and some squished-up blood worms in a concoction that looked like chocolate pudding. The frogs also munch on the naturally growing algae in their perfectly balanced tanks. Like kiddos, he isn’t sure if they liked the romaine. Getting kids and tadpoles to eat their veggies can be a challenge, apparently.
Both zookeepers said they thoroughly enjoy their jobs caring for the frogs and loved wildlife as kids. Kameron was raised in Indiana and said he spent summers catching leopard frogs there where they aren’t endangered. It feels like a full-circle moment caring for endangered ones now in Washington.
“My favorite part of this project is the teamwork from so many different organizations working together to save these endangered frogs,” he said.
Northwest Trek is partnering with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington State University, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Oregon Zoo to help boost the northern leopard frog population, better understand the environmental factors contributing to their decline, and improve habitat conditions. The frogs were listed as endangered in Washington state in 1999.
“My favorite part of working here at Northwest Trek is the inclusion,” he added. “Even as an intern, I felt that my knowledge and experiences were used well and respected.” He began as an intern in April 2024 and, a couple months later, was working with the frogs as their keeper.
The two keepers recently helped “tag” or mark the nearly 400 tadpoles with a small injection of non-toxic reflective dye just underneath their skin. Half of the frogs, marked with blue dye, were returned to the wild as tadpoles. The remaining frogs, marked with orange dye, will be released later this summer. When biologists shine a light on the frogs in the wild, the dye glows, helping identify which frogs survived and offering more information about their movement.
“I call this my frog job,” Chelsea said with a giggle. “It’s bittersweet when they leave, but I know I’m making a tangible difference in the world around us,” she said. “I watched these animals go from bumbling little toddler babies trying to get up on land and learn to eat with their big mouths. And then, as we release them, they start eating mosquitoes right out of the air.”