He and 259 other frogs have been bred at the Amphibian Research Centre in Melbourne in a bid to save the species.

Spotted tree frogs are few and far between in the wild, with the species confirmed extinct at Mount Buffalo in 1983.

It is believed the spotted tree frog thrived before European settlement, with goldmining, forestry, introduced species and development disturbing their habitats.

The final blow is believed to have come with the foreign amphibian chytrid fungus arriving in the Buffalo National Park.

But the Department of Sustainability and Environment is now trying to reverse the situation by returning the frogs to the mountain.

The 260 frogs, from one to three years’ old, travelled more than seven hours yesterday in 24 plastic boxes to get to their new home.

DSE ecologist Graeme Gillespie said the survival of native species was important for the ecosystem.

“If you were to let species go extinct, where do you draw the line, how many species can you let go extinct before you have a major problem with an ecosystem unravelling?,” he said.

The release today will mean that Mount Buffalo will have the highest number of spotted tree frogs in Victoria, with only about one or two frogs found in other places each year.

The frogs have all been marked on their toes so researchers can track their progress in the future.