This cache is one of a series placed in collaboration with the
Zoological Society of Manitoba as a part of the Endangered Species
Cache Game. The Cache is in the Assiniboine Park Zoo. There is a
nominal entrance fee. You can download the game sheet at
www.mbgeocaching.ca or obtain one from the
Zoo Shop
NOTE: This Cache is Located Near
Water. Please keep
track of small children
.
Croakin’ Away
The year of 2008 is the Year of the
Frog.
Accredited zoos and aquariums are working closely with other
partners to develop and implement a global action plan for
amphibian conservation.
Zoos and aquariums are committed to ensuring the survival of all
amphibian species and are already an active force in amphibian
conservation. Now, with Year of the Frog, we need to take our
efforts to the next level, not only by increasing our conservation
efforts, but also by engaging the public to learn about and support
the critical work to prevent amphibian extinction.
Why ‘Year of
the Frog’? Frogs are going
extinct. So are toads, salamanders, newts and the intriguingly
unusual caecilians. In fact, the World Conservation Union (IUCN)
estimates that at least one-third of known amphibian species are
threatened with extinction. While the major culprit has
historically been habitat loss and degradation, many of the
declines and extinctions are now being attributed to a rapidly
dispersing infectious disease. This fungus is causing population
and species extinctions at an alarming rate.
Captive
assurance populations have become the only hope for many species
faced with imminent extinction and are an important component of an
integrated conservation effort. Accredited zoos and aquariums, with
their demonstrated expertise in endangered species breeding
programs, have been called upon to meet this conservation
challenge.
The
Blanchard's Cricket Frog is listed as endangered in Canada. The IUCN has
classified four amphibians in the U.S. to be critically endangered, the Mississippi
gopher frog, the Chiricahua leopard
frog, the mountain yellow-legged frog and the Wyoming toad. The
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has
listed thirty-seven amphibian species under the Endangered Species
Act. Accredited zoos and aquariums may be their only hope for
survival.