Jocotoco aids the conservation of the Jambato after its unexpected rediscovery
"Maybe we'll never completely understand why the jambato disappeared or survived in this small valley. [...] For a long time, it was the most dramatic symbol of amphibian extinction in Ecuador; now, we want it to become an icon of conservation." (1)
This harlequin frog (Atelopus ignescens) was one of the most common toads in the Ecuadorian Andes, with which many generations of children used to play near their homes and schools. However, one day it suddenly disappeared without a trace, causing uncertainty among everyone.
With the jambato's strange disappearance in the early 80s, this toad became a legend as part of our parents' and grandparents' childhood memories. Because of this, many of us asked, "What happened?" "What could we have done to avoid this uncertain end?"
The "jambatu," as it's called in Kichwa, was even considered to be nearly extinct, becoming "the most dramatic symbol of amphibian extinction in Ecuador," according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). But when little David saw a black frog with an orange belly, hope replaced uncertainty.
Since then, the Jambatu Center has begun a laboratory breeding program for the species, through which it achieved a backup population in a controlled environment. However, there was still much to learn about the toad's wild population.
By June 2021, the Alianza Jambato was born and helped identify several individuals of the jambato through the local conservation project, including some gravid females and tadpoles. Fortunately, Jocotoco was invited to participate, along with other interdisciplinary organizations, to develop a financing and conservation action plan.
We are currently working to identify threats that might definitively drive the jambato to extinction and seek alternatives to mitigate those threats.
At the same time, as the IUCN has shown, it is necessary to actively involve local communities to guarantee a habitat where a population can develop and avoid extinction. For this reason, we're working hand in hand with the authorities and local people.
We'll keep you updated on our activities and achievements in the Jambato Alliance. In the meantime, you can support us with your donation to save the jambato, now "resurrected," from extinction.
(1) IUCN, Una alianza para salvar de la extinción al jambato negro de páramo (blog), 30 May 2022, https://www.iucn.org/node/33071 (accessed 18 July 2022)
