Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, in partnership with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and the Endangered Wildlife Trust, has taken the initiative to embark on an Amphibian Conservation Project, which has successfully bred the Pickersgill frog.
So successful the project has been that it is ready to release about 200 captive-bred offspring of this rare amphibian into its natural habitat on 17 September 2018.
Scientifically known as Hyperolius pickersgill and found only in KwaZulu-Natal, from Sezelain in the South to St Lucia village in the north, this tiny amphibian, measuring no more than 2,5cm in length, is endangered and is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN’s) Red List of Threatened Species.
The deadly outbreak of the Chytrid fungi (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) in the late 2000s led to the deaths of amphibian populations and even extinctions in other countries.
What began as an ambitious journey in 2007, the programme got underway with a starter base of 20 frogs from two sites housed in specially designed laboratories at the Joburg Zoo.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s Sthabiso Chiliza said: “The reintroduction will mark a significant milestone in reaching the objective of the Department of Environmental Affairs to improve the conservation status of the Pickersgill’s reed frog and advance its protection through conservation action.”
Frogs, including the Pickersgill’s reed, are an important indicator species and play a vital role in safeguarding ecosystems, the demise of which not only has negative consequences for the amphibians themselves but biodiversity as a whole.
Ian du Plessis, Curator of Reptiles, Fish, Insects, Amphibians and Arachnids at from Johannesburg Zoo, added: “This project also gave us a fine and detailed insight into the natural behaviour that was unknown until now – thus this research is of great value and allows us to understand this specie better than before so that all requirements are met to reach our objectives.”
The Joburg Zoo team will prepare for the release of the frogs with bated breath and fingers crossed, bringing with them leaps of hope.
Written by Johannes Phosa
