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Community Action Alerts 2008 Year of the Frog
Community Action Alerts 2008 Year of the Frog
| 2008 Year of the Frog |
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The Association of Zoos and Aquariums will highlight 2008 as the Year of the Frog to mark a major conservation effort to address the amphibian extinction crisis. The Year of the Frog is also meant to engage the public in amphibian conservation and to raise funds for AZA amphibian conservation efforts into the future. Frogs are going extinct. So are toads, salamanders, newts, and the intriguingly unusual caecilians. In fact, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) estimates that at least one-third of known amphibian species are threatened with extinction. While the major culprit has historically been habitat loss and degradation, many of the declines and extinctions previously referred to as "enigmatic" are now being attributed to the rapidly dispersing infectious disease chytridiomycosis ("chytrid"). This fungus is causing population and species extinctions at an alarming rate. Can you imagine if we were about to lose one-third of the world's mammals? Chytridiomycosis ("chytrid") The disease known as chytridiomycosis, results when a chytridiomycete fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ("chytrid") attacks keratin in the skin tissue of amphibians. Many researchers believe that this infectious fungus inhibits the frog’s ability to respire and osmoregulate, eventually killing the frog. Chytrid has been implicated in amphibian declines in the Americas, Caribbean, and Australia and its range continues to grow. Chytrid is not the only cause of amphibian decline, but is a likely explanation for unexplained declines in high-altitude, protected regions and may hasten the collapse of populations weakened by other threats such as habitat destruction, climate change, and water and air pollution. The combined effect of habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and chytrid cannot be addressed solely in the wild. Captive assurance populations have become the only hope for many species faced with imminent extinction and are an important component of an integrated conservation effort. AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums, with their demonstrated expertise in endangered species breeding programs, have been called upon to meet this conservation challenge. Why Now? AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums are committed to ensuring the survival of all amphibian species and are already an active force in amphibian conservation. Since 2000, we have spent more than $1.1 million on amphibian conservation and research projects in more than 20 countries around the world. Now, with Year of the Frog, we need to take our efforts to the next level, not only by increasing our conservation efforts, but also by engaging the public to learn about and support our critical work to prevent amphibian extinction. More information: http://www.yearofthefrog.org/ |
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- Limbe Wildlife Centre in SW Cameroon takes care of infant primates that are lucky enough to be rescued from the illegal pet trade. In November 2007, ACF, ERuDeF and Daniel Taylor organised an art workshop with 13 Cameroonian artists in the centre in order to raise awareness and funding for great apes conservation.
