Introduction

Romer's Tree Frog is the
successful case of
amphibian conservation
in Hong Kong

Amphibians are declining rapidly; species, genera, and even families are going extinct at an unprecedented rate. One third to one half of all amphibian species are threatened with extinction, more than 120 species has gone extinct in recent years. Habitat loss is the major threat to the survival of the amphibians, but the rapid dispersal of the deadly amphibian chytrid fungus is of major concern as it will drive species to extinction quickly.

In 2006, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) set up a collaborative program called the Amphibian Ark (AArk) to develop, promote, and guide short-term ex-situ management, thus making possible long-term survival of amphibians for which adequate protection in the wild is not currently feasible. The Amphibian Ark is launching this global Amphibian Ark campaign – 2008 Year of the Frog to call upon the world to help save the amphibians

The Hong Kong Wetland Park, in support of the global Amphibian Ark campaign, is launching the “2008 Year of the Frog” campaign from July to October at the Hong Kong Wetland Park. The campaign aims at arousing understanding of amphibians and the importance of conserving them. For details, please click here

Frogs matter

Amphibians play a critical role in nature as they benefit us in various ways:

They act as both predator and prey, maintaining the delicate equilibrium of nature. Their disappearance indicates ‘something’ detrimental has happened.
They eat insects, acting as a natural pest control and disease control.
Their dermal secretions have antibiotic / antiviral properties and thus can be made into medicines for curing of human diseases.
As indicator for habitat quality as their skin is highly permeable. Their skin, not only allowing them to drink and breathe but also allowing contaminants to enter the body readily, making them “the canary in the coal mine”, their population decline alert us of degrading environmental quality.
Frogs have had a special place in various human culture, they are cherished as agents of life and good luck.