José Arturo Cardenas -
Almost a year after conservationists sent out a plea to help save a species of Bolivian aquatic frog by finding a mate for the last remaining member, Romeo, his very own Juliet has been tracked down deep inside a cloud forest.
Not only did the wildlife conservation team return with a potential mate for Romeo, who had been 10 years a bachelor, but also another four members of the Sehuencas water frog species, boosting hopes to save the tiny amphibians from extinction.
After previous failed expeditions to the same area over the last decade, a joint expedition between Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC) and the Alcide d’Orbigny Natural History museum finally scored a success in the Bolivian wilderness.
And the good news came about after securing funding following a Valentine’s Day appeal last year to help find Romeo his Juliet.
“It is an incredible feeling to know that thanks to everyone who believes in true love and donated for Valentine’s Day last year, we have already found a mate for Romeo and can establish a conservation breeding programme with more than a single pair,” said Teresa Camacho, the museum’s chief of herpetology and the expedition leader.
Romeo had been found in that same cloud forest a decade ago and it was feared that he was the last survivor in his species.
With a lifespan of 15 years, time was running out to find Romeo a mate to ensure the survival of the species, although the frog himself never gave up hope, continuing to call out for a mate during his 10 years in captivity.
In a statement, GWC said “the bachelor’s luck is about to change drastically.”
The priority now is to ensure that Juliet, who measures 55 mm, makes a good impression on her beau, who is brown with dark spots and slightly larger at 62 mm.
“We want to ensure the perfect conditions for his blind date,” an excited Camacho said.
“To reproduce natural conditions, we’ve been taking temperature and water quality measurements from the sampled streams to reproduce them in the breeding environments.”
Reproduction is the primary goal, but Camacho says the team is in no hurry.
“We hope it will be love at first sight, but if that doesn’t happen, we’ll eat ice cream, watch ‘The Notebook,’ and try again!” — AFP
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