Darwin's Frog: Saving An Endangered Frog from Extinction
Our break-through study together with Chilean NGO Ranita de Darwin has unlocked insights that could help halt the global amphibian apocalypse caused by chytrid fungus. The new study brings together field data collected over the course of a decade from almost 1,500 frogs, and is the first time that outbreak patterns of the disease have been documented in a species that spends its entire life on land. The fungus was previously understood to spread only through water, but the findings reveal that extremely local contact between frogs allows it to spread on land. This new knowledge provides vital insights for conservationists working across the globe to address the threat of the chytrid fungus. We rescued some of the last remaining Southern Darwin's frogs from extinction in 2024, bringing them to safety at London Zoo after alarming 90% declines were recorded. Since the frog's arrival over 30 rice-grain sized froglets have already been born at the Zoo, and by working closely with them we are continuing to advance understanding of their species.
Read more: https://www.zsl.org/news-and-events/news/conservationists-move-closer-saving-tiny-frog-amphibian-apocalypse
