The 21st Show

Central Illinois zoo helps save Bad Bunny’s favorite toad

Produced by Jose Zepeda
 
a toad sits on a bed of dried tropical foliage; its skin is dark green on the back and fades to yellow on the sides; it has black spots all over and a light-colored belly

A Puerto Rican crested toad is seen in this 2010 image provided by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Jan Paul Zegarra/USFWS (Public Domain)

Listen
Download

If you are among the tens of millions of people who caught Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, you might’ve noticed a moment when the jumbotron featured a toad. Turns out it’s the Puerto Rican Crested Toad, which is native to the island and an endangered species. It’s also the subject of conservation efforts at the Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington. We’ll talk with them about their work on Bad Bunny’s favorite amphibian.

Guests

Mackenzie Stewart
Zookeeper and primary keeper of the Puerto Rican crested toad, Miller Park Zoo

Julia Benzel
Zoo education manager, Miller Park Zoo