INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
KATHMANDU, MAY 1Frogs are amazing creatures distributed around the globe
They are known by their unique calls, which they use for communication purposes
Frogs are bioindicators because their skin is semi-permeable, allowing them to detect slight changes in the environment, such as
temperature, rainfall, and pollution.
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Frogs also help to control
pests by feeding mosquito larvae and keeping us safe from malaria
They also help control pests in paddy fields
Newar people worship frogs by offering them food.Frogs are considered a remark of the rainmaker, so when there is a long drought, people
often perform frog marriages to please the rain god.
However, due to unplanned urbanisation and land fragmentation, there
is habitat loss for frogs
Now the Land of Province is also turning into concrete jungle as the population is growing and frog habitats are being damaged.Similarly,
the release of waste gets mixed into rivers and ponds from industries, which is affecting the health of frogs
People also consume frogs, which has severely affected them
In Nepal, in high mountains, they eat the frogs and call them "Paha," and in Tarai, they call them "Paawo" or "Paha."They are given to
lactating women or pregnant women to boost their immunity or for delicacy purposes
They are also given to people suffering from diarrhoea
This has resulted in overharvesting of frogs due to the high consumption rate
Moreover, the Bull Frog is also dissected in the science lab, and due to this, they are getting threats
To solve this issue, we can reduce the number of dissecting frogs or use a 3D model of frogs for teaching purposes.This motivated a young
researcher, Bishal Neupane, 26 years old, to conduct Save the Frogs Day to foster local communities to help in saving frogs in Nepal by
conducting outreach activities and to mark SAVE THE FROGS! Day in Madhes Province on April 28, 2024.It was a collaboration with ShreeThaani
Mai Community Forest Users Group, Simara, Bara and Simara Public English School for the support, permission and venue for this event."As
it's commonly understood, the Tarai region serves as Nepal's breadbasket
However, to enhance yields, farmers are excessively using harmful chemicals and pesticides on their crops
This practice has had a detrimental impact on the frog population in the area, yet many farmers remain unaware of it
Consequently, there's a pressing need for community outreach programs and activities to educate them about the consequences of their
actions," said Neupane."So, with help from SAVE THE FROGS! And also from the Katie Adamson Conservation Fund, Nepal Conservation and
There will be more sessions around Madhes province about the frogs
Throughout the event, the PowerPoint presentation was about frogs, face painting was done, naturewalking and day herping were done, a frog
diet game was played, and a drawing game was played to engage and make them familiar with frogs."Similarly, Santosh Bhattarai, herpetologist
at Nepal Conservation and Research Center, shared that Frogs not only in Nepal but globally are facing underpinning threats due to multiple
reasons, and some of them are habitat loss, habitat modifications, illegal trade, and pollution, especially water pollution."Globally, two
out of every five frog species face such threats
In Nepal, there are 56 species of amphibians, 54 of which are frogs and toads
Nepalese frogs face similar threats," he said, adding."Frogs matter because they have two phases in life
First, they start their lives in water, and when they are fully developed, they use land to survive and reproduce
And they intake water through their skins because they have permeable skins
So, if there is any harmful substance, like chemicals in water, it will also enter the frog's body, and ultimately, the frog will die
This simply indicates that frogs indicate whether the source water is pure or not
Therefore, the frogs are the best ecosystem indicator.""They are both predators, which means they eat insects and pests while also
biologically controlling them
They act as prey, and many species, including birds and snakes, survive by eating frogs, so they are important, and frogs play an important
role in the ecosystem and food chain," Bhattarai told THT.However, in Nepal, they are not considered protected
The government of Nepal does not have any priority programs for saving frogs
The government has listed 27 mammal species, including tigers, rhinos, and nine bird species, but none of the frog species are listed as
priority species to be conserved, according to Bhattarai."Therefore, voluntary programs are critical not only to saving frogs but also to
maintaining ecosystems and benefiting humans
As a result, we are attempting to promote conservation in Nepal, and Save the Frogs Day is one such event for the benefit of humanity," he
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com
