Don’t let them all leap away

Rain always brings memories of childhood. But listening to the rain, I miss the unmistakable chorus that accompanied the rainy season those days when, soon after the rain the singers appeared from nowhere. One sounded like a metallic drum, another like a man snoring, yet another reminiscent of an old Volkswagen horn! They could be heard everywhere. But why don’t we hear the frogs now?

“Frogs are dying out all over the world. It is the largest mass extinction since the disappearance of dinosaurs. Almost all of the earth’s amphibians are in decline, mainly as a result of habitat destruction or fragmentation. Other factors like agrochemicals, alien invasive species, pollution and diseases have all contributed to this decline. It is estimated that as many as a third to half of all amphibians could vanish within our lifetime,” says a member of Amphibian Ark, (AArk) a group that aims to save threatened amphibians.

Amphibian Ark’s conservation plan centres on asking zoos, aquariums, and botanical gardens to act as sanctuaries for disappearing frogs, salamanders, newts and caecilians. They have named 2008 as the “Year of the Frog” to raise awareness and highlight the need to protect amphibians.

As part of this campaign, a “Global Leap Frog” event was organized at Dehiwala Zoo on New Year’s eve. Children dressed as frogs leap-frogged a set distance conveying the message ‘Save our Frogs’. Many zoos around the world organized Global Leap Frog events at 11 a.m. local time. The event was coordinated by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), which is the parent organization of Amphibian Ark. Leading conservationists participated in the event organized at Dehiwala Zoo. This event was followed by a series of lectures on conservation.

“We are trying to design an enclosure specially for amphibians in the Zoo, at least starting with a few. Raising frogs in captivity is a new experience for us, but we want to contribute to the conservation of amphibians in Sri Lanka,” Renuka Bandaranayake, the Assistant Director of the Zoological Gardens said.

Sri Lanka boasts of a high amphibian diversity, with some 103 amphibian varieties recorded in the country, 87 of them being endemic. But the future looks bleak with 21 of the Frog species already deemed extinct. This is especially critical, considering that only 34 frog species have become extinct the world over.

Sri Lanka being the highest user of agro-chemicals in South Asia, has become a major threat to amphibians together with habitat loss. The Zoo also plans to continue the education programme to alert students and teachers about the importance of the amphibians, she said.

Director of the National Zoological Gardens Duminda Jayaratna emphasized the important role the media can play in raising awareness on the amphibian crisis which goes unnoticed. By protecting the home gardens habitats, anyone can take the first step in protecting our frogs.