Sarah Gibbens writes in National Geographic about the mission here in Panama to save the harlequin frogs.
Hundreds of colorful frogs, barely the size of a palm, have been released into the wilds of Panama in the hopes of reviving a critically endangered species.
The variable harlequin frogs, raised in captivity at a Smithsonian’s Conservation Biology Institute facility in Panama are part of an experiment to see how the amphibians will fare in a country besieged by a pervasive and deadly disease. The population has declined by more than 80 percent over the last three generations, and in Panama, wild populations exist only in some protected areas.
The scientists gave 500 frogs a unique marking visible under UV light, while 30 additional frogs were released wearing miniature radio transmitters, says Brian Gratwicke, international coordinator for the Smithsonian’s Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation project and a National Geographic Explorer.