CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / SAN DIEGO

Once, the sweet croaking of the mountain yellow-legged frog could be heard around Southern California. Then modernity all but wiped it out.

Now, the frog seems to be making a comeback, with help from mankind.

The San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research reports the first successful breeding of the frog in captivity. The long-range plan is to release captive-bred frogs into the wild.

“It’s a big boost,” said Jeff Lemm, research coordinator at the institute. “We need all the animals we can get.”

The institute has several dozen eggs that it hopes to mature. The Los Angeles Zoo, Fresno Chaffee Zoo and the Living Desert Wildlife and Botanical Park in Palm Desert are being brought into the save-the-frog project.

-- Tony Perry