"It's really horrible that we're in a situation where hundreds of animals are disappearing," said Kouba, director of conservation and research at the Memphis Zoo. "If the same situation had happened with mammals, the outcry would be tremendous. But we aren't receiving the same attention to the dramatic loss of these amphibians."
The Memphis Zoo has received a $300,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to fund conservation research and study reproductive techniques for salamanders.

It's in some ways the second phase of a $120,000 IMLS grant that has helped the zoo become a leader in frog and toad reproduction, Kouba said.

The zoo is working with other institutions, including Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Its main partner is Mississippi State University, Kouba said.