WTB organises programme to create awareness among schoolchildren
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh (WTB) in collaboration with Dhaka Zoo organised a programme Monday to create awareness among schoolchildren and general people in Dhaka Zoo, Chittagong Zoo, Rangpur Zoo and Dulahazra Safarai Park, reports UNB.
The programme was held to participate in a global initiative that declared and marked 2008 as the Amphibian Ark 2008 Year of the Frog.
Participants in the programme raised their voice in favour of amphibian conservation through various activities like frog song, one giant leap for the frogs, rally inside the zoo and painting competition. They raised different questions about the values of amphibians.
The WTB crew produced a poster of amphibians for the participants who also pledged to take care of the tiny vertebrates.
WTB chief executive Prof Mohammad Anwarul Islam and the Dhaka Zoo curator welcomed the participants and appealed to celebrate New Year by giving an SMS to a friend to address "2008 Year of the Frog."
Amphibians are considered as indicators of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems as they need both the ecosystems to complete their life cycle.
Today the earth is facing its largest mass extinction since the disappearance of the dinosaurs. One-third (32.5 per cent) of 6,000 global amphibian fauna are in danger of extinction. This number is more than either birds (17 per cent) or mammals (18 per cent).
According to Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA), 43.2 per cent of amphibians are experiencing some form of population decrease while compared with 12 per cent of birds and 23 per cent of mammals. Many amphibian species are on the brink of extinction, with 7.4 per cent listed as Critically Endangered (CR) compared with 1.8 per cent of birds and 3.4 per cent of mammals.
0f the known 34 frogs of Bangladesh, eight are facing different categories of threat, five are Data Deficient meaning that we do not have enough information on whether they are on the verge of extinction.
To mitigate this crisis, world's leading conservationists have joined together and named 2008 as 'The Year of Frog.' They formed an Amphibian Ark (Aark), which is a partnership between the World Conservation Union, IUCN/SSC, Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG), Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG), and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
The programme was held to participate in a global initiative that declared and marked 2008 as the Amphibian Ark 2008 Year of the Frog.
Participants in the programme raised their voice in favour of amphibian conservation through various activities like frog song, one giant leap for the frogs, rally inside the zoo and painting competition. They raised different questions about the values of amphibians.
The WTB crew produced a poster of amphibians for the participants who also pledged to take care of the tiny vertebrates.
WTB chief executive Prof Mohammad Anwarul Islam and the Dhaka Zoo curator welcomed the participants and appealed to celebrate New Year by giving an SMS to a friend to address "2008 Year of the Frog."
Amphibians are considered as indicators of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems as they need both the ecosystems to complete their life cycle.
Today the earth is facing its largest mass extinction since the disappearance of the dinosaurs. One-third (32.5 per cent) of 6,000 global amphibian fauna are in danger of extinction. This number is more than either birds (17 per cent) or mammals (18 per cent).
According to Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA), 43.2 per cent of amphibians are experiencing some form of population decrease while compared with 12 per cent of birds and 23 per cent of mammals. Many amphibian species are on the brink of extinction, with 7.4 per cent listed as Critically Endangered (CR) compared with 1.8 per cent of birds and 3.4 per cent of mammals.
0f the known 34 frogs of Bangladesh, eight are facing different categories of threat, five are Data Deficient meaning that we do not have enough information on whether they are on the verge of extinction.
To mitigate this crisis, world's leading conservationists have joined together and named 2008 as 'The Year of Frog.' They formed an Amphibian Ark (Aark), which is a partnership between the World Conservation Union, IUCN/SSC, Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG), Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG), and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).