People thought these frogs all died from a fungus disease in the 1970s, but in 2009 some were found alive in the Southern Tablelands. At first, the scientists did not tell anyone where they found the frog. They were worried that frog fans would come to take photographs of them, try to catch them, or scare them away. The scientists took some of the frogs and tadpoles to the Taronga Zoo. The scientists left the other yellow-spotted tree frogs where they were. The person who owned the land where the frogs were living agreed to help protect them.