2008 Year of the Frog

2008 has been declared the Year of the Frog to raise awareness of a looming, mass extinction of "amphibian" species - the most significant since the dinosaur.

Children at the Saint Louis Zoo and zoos around the world kicked off the New Year by participating in the world's largest game of "leapfrog" on December 31, 2007 to draw attention to conservation efforts that would avert the disaster.

The Saint Louis Zoo will open Awesome Amphibians exhibit on February 29, 2008.

Amphibian Crisis

One-third to one-half of all amphibian species are in danger of disappearing in our lifetime. Amphibians are often called "the world's canaries in the coal mine," and when hundreds of species are in decline it serves as a global warning to other species.

"Widespread extinction of amphibians would be catastrophic," said Jeffrey P. Bonner, president of the Saint Louis Zoo and chairman of Amphibian Ark. "In addition to their intrinsic value, they offer many benefits and are a critical part of a healthy world. They play an important role in the food web as both predator and prey, eating insects which benefits agriculture and minimizes disease spread. Their skin also has substances that protect them from some microbes and viruses, offering promising medical cures for a variety of human diseases."

Amphibians are severely affected by habitat loss, climate change, pollution and pesticides, introduced species, and over-collection for food and pets. However, the most immediate threat to amphibians is a parasitic fungus called amphibian chytrid, a disease that is deadly to hundreds of amphibian species. Global climate change may have exacerbated the problem. Currently unstoppable and untreatable in the wild, the fungus can kill 80 percent of native amphibians within months.

Amphibian Ark to the Rescue!

Amphibian Ark is a campaign supported by zoos to rescue the most endangered 500 species that cannot be saved in the wild. Saint Louis Zoo President Jeffrey Bonner is the chairman of Amphibian Ark. It is the most urgent component of a comprehensive effort to protect the future for amphibians, and is supported by the IUCN/Species Survival Commission (SSC) Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, IUCN/SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).

An online petition urges governments and the United Nations to take steps to protect endangered amphibian species.

To avert the extinction of the most endangered 500 species, $50-60 million is needed to help fund regional initiatives such as workshops, rescues, cooperatively managed centers and coordination of activities within each region. Donations can be made at www.amphibianark.org.