Toads Return

This is Kihansi Fall in Tanzinia. It is home to Kihansi Toads in the photo below.

These toads live nowhere else but in the spray of Kihansi waterfalls. After the completion of Kihansi hydroelectric dam in July 2000, the spray level reduced drastically and the tiny creatures disappeared from the wild. In 2009, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared the toads extinct. But before the declaration, several of these toads were already taken into zoos in the United States of America. This week, 100 of Kihansi Toads born and bred in the U S have arrived in Tanzinia to be reintroduced into their habitat in the wild.

In our last story, we reported a search for "Lost Frogs" and cautioned communities in and around Sapo National Park to help protect frogs, toads, and other amphibians of the park. Currently, we have no information of any unique Sapo amphibians in zoos around the world. If we sent any of our wild amphibian extinct, it may be gone forever. Let's respect and safeguard our nature.

Let's Conserve Sapo

According to a story on Conservation International's website, this yellow-and-black flog is reported missing from where it was kept in the United States of America. It was one of the two of its kind species to be discovered by scientists in 1975 in Guatemala. Its name was Jackson's climbing salamander. It was brought to the States to be studied but suddenly disappeared. What led to the disappearance is a mystery. Sadly enough, no member of its kind has ever been seen since its discovery. Whether the little creature is thriving in its habitat or has gone extinct, scientists have yet to find out. The search is on.

For those of us closer to Sapo National Park, we may wonder why would anyone want to search for and keep creature like frog. Here are two obvious reasons:
1. Flogs, toads and other amphibians feed on insects that destroy our food crops and give us diseases such as malaria.
2. The skin of these creatures may be used to make medicine for pain, cancer, and even HIV.

They are vital for the survival of human beings, isn't it. These little creatures are our partners on earth, contributing immensely to our survival. In view this, Conservation International (CI) is sponsoring a team of scientists to travel the world to find, study, and help keep them alive in their habitats. Some of these scientists may visit Sapo National Park for their work, one of the reasons for which the park was created and a genuine reason for us to safeguard the park.