AArk Panamanian Prioritization Workshop
November 17, 2008
Amphibians are an important component of the global ecosystem, as indicators of environmental health and contributors to human health
“Amphibians are an important component of the global ecosystem, as indicators of environmental health and contributors to human health. They watched the dinosaurs come and go, but today almost half of them are themselves threatened with extinction.
The global conservation community has formulated a response in the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan, and an integral part of that response is the Amphibian Ark, in which select species that would otherwise go extinct will be maintained in captivity until they can be secured in the wild. Without immediate captive management as a stopgap component of an integrated conservation effort, hundreds of species could become extinct.”
During 2008, AArk is leading zoos in a globally coordinated public awareness campaign “The Year of the Frog”, to understand the amphibian extinction crisis.
AArk staff help coordinate ex-situ programs implemented by partners around the world, with the first emphasis on programs within the range countries of the species. AArk couples ex-situ conservation measures with the necessary efforts to protect or restore species in their natural habitats. More information at:
www.amphibianark.org
In 2006, the Conservation Breeding Specialists Group (CBSG) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquaria (WAZA) held an Amphibian ex situ Conservation Planning workshop in Panama, where a taxon selection and prioritization working group, developed a decision tree to select and prioritize which taxa are most in need of ex situ assistance. Hong Kong, South Africa, Malaysia, Venezuela, Colombia, Costa Rica and North America and Puerto Rico followed the effort.
Currently, STRI is hosting the AArk Panamanian Prioritization Workshop from November 12- 15, at the Tupper Center. The leading instructor is Paul Crump, from the Houston Zoo. STRI is being represented by Roberto Ibáñez, Andrew Crawford, and César Jaramillo.
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