How many species are threatened in South Africa? Much progress is being made on understanding threats and how to mitigate these, but this requires not just research, but massive behavioural change at both the public and policy level. However, with more than 40% of amphibians (a total of some 8000+ species) threatened with extinction, until we manage to protect critical habitats – especially forests and freshwater -, reduce our consumption and stabilise human population growth, the outlook for amphibians will remain on the decline. Social and television media also helps in spreading this urgent message to the public. Funding for amphibian conservation is also being increasingly recognised as important, and there is a growing public awareness about the biodiversity crisis, and I think, a genuine increase in interest in smaller wildlife. There is a global action plan, first published in 2007, that is currently being revised, along with a practitioner guide to implementing the most urgent actions. With an increasing recognition that amphibians as a group are the most threatened vertebrates on Earth, this is slowly changing. With heightened awareness around declining amphibian populations and conservation, what is the current global outlook for threatened species?Īmphibians as a group have been historically rather overlooked in terms of conservation planning and funding. This led to a PhD in Zoology on amphibian conservation in South Africa, and I have been incredibly fortunate to model a career on this, and the need to bridge the gap between academic research and on-the-ground conservation action for amphibians. I truly had no idea what a diverse, interesting and widespread group of animals they are. I thought they were slimy and strange! It was not until I enrolled for a MSc degree in Environmental Science through North-West University in 2006 and taking up a study on frogs of the Drakensberg and Lesotho that my eyes started opening up to the world of frogs. Although, to be honest this connection wasn’t very focussed on frogs! Like a lot of people, frogs scared me a bit. I grew up in the southern Drakensberg of KwaZulu-Natal and have always felt a connection to nature and animals. Tell us about your background and what stimulated your interest in amphibians? We spoke to Dr Jeanne Tarrant, Threatened Amphibian Programme Manager at the Endangered Wildlife Trust, about these endearing creatures, and Leap Day for Frogs – an annual campaign to bring awareness to frogs, their fascination, and their plight. Frogs are essential environmental indicators, but many species have vanished across the globe.
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