(KRON) -- The Oakland Zoo released its 1,000th yellow-legged frog into California's wilderness this week, marking a milestone for efforts to bring the native species back from the brink of extinction.

On Tuesday, an Oakland Zoo crew transported 43 yellow-legged frogs by helicopter to a release site in Laurel Lake at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park.

The zoo's wildlife experts have been working for a decade to save the frog species, which was nearly wiped out by a deadly fungal disease, Chytridiomycosis (chytrid).

"Releasing our 1,000th mountain yellow-legged frog is a major milestone. It's a number that you hope to achieve when you start a program. We need to keep this movement going to continue helping native California wildlife and make sure that these frogs don't disappear," sa

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