Amphibian Crisis - signature campaign

[Guest guest]

Dear friends

 

PDF attached herewith has details about a signature campaign for Amphibian

Crisis. It is launched by well-known ZOO, WILD & ANSA, Amphibian Network of

South Asia. I request you all to participate and put in your sincere efforts

to make this petition a successful one in benefit of Amphibians who can not

speak!

 

Kishore Kotecha, Wildlife Conservation Trust - Rajkot

 

 

 

_____

 

Sally R. Walker

 

Thursday, September 20, 2007 7:58 PM

To:

 

Amphibian Crisis - signature campaign

 

 

 

All conservation network members of ZOO and WILD

 

ZOO, WILD & ANSA, Amphibian Network of South Asia

 

Ref: Amphibian Crisis - signature campaign

 

20 Sep. 07

 

 

 

Dear Colleagues:

 

 

As a conservationist, you are probably aware of the global amphibian crisis.

Almost all of the Earth's amphibians are in decline as a result of habitat

destruction & fragmentation, over-collection, increased UV radiation,

pollution & pesticides, alien species, climate change, and disease. It is

estimated that as many as a third to half of all amphibians could vanish

within our lifetime!

 

 

 

 

 

The world's conservation community has become particularly alarmed because

of massive die-offs and extinctions in some countries, due to a fungus

called " Chytrid " (pronounced kai - trid). The global zoo/captive community

has organised its own programme of action led by the Conservation Breeding

Specialist Group CBSG SSC IUCN and the World Association of Zoos and

Aquariums WAZA. This programme is called AArk, Amphibian Ark. ZOO and WILD,

active partners of CBSG and WAZA, and host of the Amphibian Network of South

Asia ANSA and South Asian Zoo Association for Regional Cooperation SAZARC,

have hopped aboard the AArk with a series of actions appropriate to India

and other South Asian countries.

 

 

 

In the case of India, for example, there are 240 amphibian species of which

155 occur in India only . nowhere else. India is responsible for these

species . if they become extinct they are lost to the world. One is already

extinct, 14 are Critically Endangered, 30 are Endangered and 19 are

Vulnerable. Total 64 species . one extinct and 63 threatened with

extinction.

 

 

 

The deadly chytrid fungus has not been noted in India so far, but it may be

that it is due to insufficient research. Training and equipment are being

organised to conduct tests for chytrid in India and other South Asian

countries. A training course has been scheduled for December in Periyar

Tiger Reserve, Thekkady, Kerala, India.

 

 

 

Our major priority is to create awareness of the very existence of

amphibians and their role in ecosystem health as well as the many threats to

their continued survival. The first target audience would be government

authorities, as amphibians so far have been a low priority in official

conservation action.

 

 

 

This year for Indian Wildlife Week, a 53 year old activity of government

that is the most extensive conservation awareness event of the year, we are

offering an education kit about the amphibian crisis as part of our

programme. Organisations and institutions which order our materials are

being asked to include a signature campaign along with their programme,

taking the signature of all participants and their collaborators. Our other

conservation network members are also invited to assist with the signature

campaign. You may also order educational materials.

 

 

 

This campaign is directly associated with the global signature campaign of

AArk, which has declared 2008 as the " Year of Frog " to raise awareness of

amphibian extinction crisis worldwide to call on all governments to preserve

amphibian life. Our aim is for it to be the largest petition ever signed on

behalf of endangered animals. The petition calls on governments to " commit

resources for urgent global action to rescue frogs and other amphibians. "

 

 

 

Wildlife Week is an excellent time to collect signatures on the petition.

We call on all our education partners ordering materials from us to collect

signatures from participants and on all our network members to assist in

this campaign. A copy of the petition is enclosed in snail mail and attached

in email. Please xerox the form in your place or write to us requesting

copies. Collect signatures with complete information and post to our

office. We will send them to AArk to join with those of the global

campaign. We call on all network members also to consider conducting an

education programme and/or signature campaign.

 

 

 

Thanks for being part of saving amphibians.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Sally Walker and Sanjay Molur