Leap Day Awareness
BILLINGS - One-hundred and twenty species of amphibians have gone extinct since 1980. ZooMontana highlights that problem by holding a special awareness event for kids on Leap Day. Zoos across the nation are using Leap Day to educate kids and promote conservation. The World Conservation Union says close to one third of all amphibians are about to become extinct. Jackie Worstell, the Executive Director over at ZooMontana says, "The sad thing is, a little guy like this, you never notice they're gone until they're all gone." The American Zoo Assocation calls 2008 the "Year of the Frog." Worstell says things we do every day can have a positive or negative effect on these amphibians. She says their loss has a big effect on us. "One little thing leaving, if this little frog leaves it changes everything that happens there. If he's a food source for something else that may not have that food anymore, so it leaves the area. And then that creates a chain reaction that keeps going."
It's more than just a loss of habitat now. Diseases and invasion by foreign species often hurt other animals in the area. Zoo officials say everything we do has an effect, so they're educating kids on how important it is to care for the eco-system and restore what we can.
The event lasted from 9:30 to 2:30 on Friday and was also open to the public.