Invasive American bullfrogs worry Creston Valley conservationists

The invasive American bullfrog is getting dangerously close to the Creston Valley and could threaten the northern leopard frog in its last habitat in B.C.

That's what conservationists with the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area say, and on Tuesday, they will hold an open house to let locals know what the bullfrog looks like and what to do if one is seen.

"They're very voracious animals, and they're large,"Marc-Andr Beaucher, head of operations with the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area told Radio West host Audrey McKinnon.

"They can eat just about anything,

"They compete for habitat. They also will actually eat the leopard frogs. They're about two to three times their size they can change the habitat by changing the dynamic of the predator-prey function within a wetland."

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Beaucher says the American bullfrog has been seen only four kilometres south of the Creston Valley.

And since the bullfrogs can travel five kilometres each year, they could be in the valley at any time.

"It's just a matter of time before they get here, really. We might have a big problem on our hands."

Northern leopard frogs are endangered in B.C., and an intensive recovery program has been in place for the last 15 years to stabilize the species.

To help mitigate the impact of bullfrogs coming into their last B.C. habitat, Beaucher and his colleagues are intensifying monitoring efforts.

He's asking members of the publicwhoseeor heara bullfrog tocontact the Ministry of Forests and Natural Resource Operations or the Central Kootenay Invasive Species Society.

TheCrestonValley Wildlife Management Area will be providing further education at their offices Tuesday at 6 p.m.

With files form CBC Radio One's Radio West

To hear the full story, click the audio labelled:Conservationists fear invasive bullfrogs coming to Creston Valley