The Panamanian golden toad, a species now extinct in the wild, is being bred in a number of facilities around the world to ensure its survival. Photo by Rhett A. Butler.
An effort to save the world’s most endangered amphibians has won mongabay.com’s 2011 conservation award.
Amphibian Ark [Donate] — a joint effort of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, and the IUCN/SSC Amphibian Specialist Group — is working to evaluate the status of threatened amphibians, raise awareness about the global amphibian extinction crisis, and set up captive breeding programs. The initiative is targeting 500 species “whose threats currently cannot be mitigated quickly enough to stave off extinction” — in other words, 500 species that will not survive without captive breeding efforts.
 |
Amphibians — which include frogs and toads, salamanders and newts, and caecilians — are among the most threatened of all animal groups. They face a range of threats, including the outbreak of chytridiomycosis, a deadly fungal epidemic that is rapidly extinguishing amphibians around the world; habitat loss from deforestation, forest degradation, and loss of wetlands; the impacts of climate change, including shifts in rainfall and temperatures; introduced species; pollution from pesticide and fertilizer use; and overexploitation for the pet trade and human consumption. Nearly 1,900 (30 percent) of the 6,285 amphibian species assessed by the IUCN are threatened with extinction. Some 165 are known to have gone extinct and another 130 are “missing” — they haven’t been seen in years and are possibly extinct.
 Herpetologist trying to save a Hyloscirtus colymba tree frog at the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project.  Dendrobates ventrimaculatus poison frog from Peru.  Blue form of the green-and-black poison dart frog. Photos by Rhett A. Butler |
“My love of amphibians is the reason I originally became interested in rainforests,” said mongabay.com’s president and founder Rhett A. Butler. “So this year I’m very happy to recognize an effort to save endangered amphibians from extinction. Amphibian Ark is playing a key role in coordinating captive-breeding programs and making people aware of the plight of many amphibians.”
Kevin Zippel, Amphibian Program Director at Amphibian Ark, welcomed the award.
“It is a great honor to be recognized by mongabay.com for our conservation efforts,” he said.
“Amphibians are truly precious, from their role in healthy ecosystems to their contributions to human medicine, and never before in their 360 million year history have they needed help more than now. This award and the attention it draws will help us in our efforts to rescue imperiled amphibians. On behalf of dedicated AArk partners around the world, and the amphibians themselves, we express our sincere gratitude.”
Each year mongabay.com selects an organization to honor with its conservation award. The award includes a cash prize and prominent placement of mongabay.com’s homepage and in its weekly newsletter for the month of December. Previous winners include AITo and the Nantu Forest Conservation Program (2010), WildlifeDirect (2009), Health In Harmony/Project ASRI (2008), and the Amazon Conservation Team (2007).
Amphibian Ark
Related articles
Sulawesi groups recognized for efforts to save endangered wildlife, forests
December 07, 2010 – Two groups working with local communities to conserve forests in Sulawesi have won mongabay.com’s 2010 Conservation Award. The Alliance for Tompotika Conservation (AlTo) donate], which works in Central Sulawesi, and the Nantu Forest Conservation Program, which operates in North Sulawesi, were recognized for their efforts to protect endangered forests on the Indonesian island, which is known for its high levels of endemic species.
Blogging wildlife rangers drive microconservation
December 01, 2009 – WildlifeDirect, a group that promotes conservation through blogging by rangers and scientists, has won mongabay.com’s “Innovation in Conservation Award” for 2009. The prize, which includes a cash donation and and prominent placement on the mongabay.com web site and newsletter for the month of December, is granted each year to an organization using an unconventional and highly effective approach to conserving forests and biodiversity.
Linking rural health care to forest conservation proving a success in Borneo
December 8, 2008 – Health In Harmony was today awarded mongabay.com’s annual “Innovation in Conservation” award for its unique approach to conservation which combats illegal logging by providing healthcare and sustainable livelihoods to communities living around Gunung Palung National Park in Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo. The award includes a cash grant and prominent placement on the mongabay.com web site and newsletter for the month of December.
Amazon Conservation Team wins “Innovation in Conservation Award” for path-breaking work with Amazon tribes
December 11, 2007 – The Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) was today awarded mongabay.com’s inaugural “Innovation in Conservation Award” for its path-breaking efforts to enable indigenous Amazonians to maintain ties to their history and cultural traditions while protecting their rainforest home from illegal loggers and miners.