Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Frog Blog

October 29 is National Take Back Your Drugs Day

2011-10-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

Do you have unused or expired medications in your medicine cabinet? Don’t flush them, rush them, to a collection site near you this Saturday, October 29! The Drug Enforcement Administration is working with local law enforcement agencies around the country to set up community drug collection sites. Not only does properly disposing of drugs help reduce prescription drug poisonings, misuse, abuse and theft, it’s better for frogs, too. Past national collection days have kept more than 309 tons of medication out of waterways.

Find a collection site near you.

Amphibians are super sensitive to water contamination. They show evidence of harm at pollution levels scientific tests can’t detect. While research on the long-term effects of pharmaceuticals in the environment is ongoing, there’s no question properly disposing of unused prescription and over-the-counter medications, instead of flushing them or pouring them down the drain, means you’re keeping our water sources clean – for frogs and for people.

If you can’t make it to a drug collection site this weekend, check out these recommendations from SMAR_XT DISPOSAL for safely disposing of medicines in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.

· Pour medication into a sealable plastic bag. If medication is a solid (pill, liquid capsule, etc.), add a small amount of water to dissolve it.

· Add kitty litter, sawdust or coffee grounds to make it less appealing for pets and children to eat.

· Seal the plastic bag and put it in the trash.

Help spread the word about this simple step everyone can take to protect our environment and frogs!

The Last of the Wild Panamanian Golden Frogs Caught on Tape

2011-03-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

An amazing BBC video documenting the plight of the Panamanian Golden Frog. Definitely worth watching.

“SPRING FORWARD” for AMPHIBIANS

2011-03-07T10:20:00.000-08:00

Get to Know the Frogs in Your Own Backyard

Silver Spring, MD (March 7, 2011) – As clocks ‘spring forward’ on March 13, 2011, volunteers can take the opportunity to learn more about the amphibians in their own community through FrogWatch USA, the flagship citizen science program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

For more than ten years, individuals and families have engaged in amphibian conservation and management by reporting the calls of frogs and toads heard in their area. Previously abundant amphibian populations have experienced dramatic population declines in the United States, and observant FrogWatch USA volunteers can help scientists understand the scope, geographic scale, and cause of these declines. The data may be used to describe local species diversity, detect rare and non-native species, suggest shifts in species diversity, range, and seasonal timing, and inform the development of land management strategies.

“It is estimated that a third of frogs and other amphibians around the world are threatened by extinction,” said Dr. Paul Boyle, AZA’s Senior Vice President of Conservation and Education. “By becoming citizen scientists, you, your family and your neighbors can help save these species.”

Volunteers are trained to identify local frog and toad species by their calls and how to collect and report their findings accurately. Chapters engage people in both science and conservation in such a way that each volunteer is empowered to play a real role in the scientific process.

There are currently 24 FrogWatch USA Chapters across the country, mostly hosted by AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums. To see a complete list of chapters, visit http://www.aza.org/become-a-frogwatch-volunteer/

To learn more about FrogWatch USA and how to get involved, visit http://www.aza.org/frogwatch/

Jamie's Blog: Giving hope to the hopeless

2011-03-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

We asked each of our travel team members to write about their journey to Panama. They are all so different and have such amazing perspective. Here is what Jamie Breitigan, Commissary Manager at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, wrote:

Panama February 11-19th, 2011

First, I’d like to say I entered this trip with “open-eyed ignorance.” I didn’t know any better.

Someone on this trip said, “Hope is for the hopeless.” If this is true, then why try? Why not just shrug your shoulders and say “oh well?” In this case, two words,
Atelopus limosus. Really you can insert a lot of other species names’ in its place, but the message remains the same. This is a species that needs immediate help.

The Atelopus limosus is a beautiful black and bright lime frog. Its coloring makes is perfect camouflage and it blends in with the wet river rocks and mossy surfaces where it is found in Panama. This animal is faced with many obstacles, like this devastating fungus, Chytrid that is wiping out the species. As it usually goes, we humans play a role that affects the Earth we all share. There is literally only a hand full of these animals left in the wild, and our hope is to find them and successfully breed them. As we found out, the “finding them” aspect has become more and more difficult to accomplish, but not impossible.

On our expedition to Cerro Brewster, our team – Ashley, Jenyva, Antonia, Bob and I – experienced a variety of interesting conditions. We hiked for 10-13 hours a day, up and down river beds, with extreme physical demands. We were constantly cold and wet, searching for frogs, and snakes, and any other predators that might be out there. We only ate to feed our bodies (not necessarily the food we would choose if we were back home).

The sleeping conditions, or lack there of, were interesting to say the least. We hung our hammocks off the side of a porch or under the hut/house, with spiders, scorpions, bugs and snakes crawling all around us; anything to stay dry at night though, because even though it’s the “dry season” in Panama, it still rains several times a day. Some of us had it good though in comparison. Antonia was stuck between the roar of two tired men “sawing away at wood.” No, there really wasn’t much sleep. That was okay; we were ready and willing for these challenges.

What we really weren’t prepared for was the lack of frogs. Again, I didn’t know any better. It lowered my spirits when we didn’t find frogs though. They simply weren’t there. We found lots of other small and elusive creatures, just not many frogs. While we found some, yes, it was a staggeringly lower ratio than prior trips (which were all within the past year and a half). Our two main targets were the Atelopus limosus, found during the day, and the Hyloscirtus colymba found at night. Prior trips yielded several of these species. This trip yielded 19 total amphibians; (2.1.1) A. Limosus, two males, one female and one juvenile, and no H. Colymba.

During the day it was very hard to find any daytime frogs. Fortunately, the prized A. Limosus was discovered on our second day of searching…a female. Great job Jenyva! At night it was a little different. We could hear, what seemed like hundreds of different frogs. I think everyone had luck catching frogs at night. Unfortunately, many of the ones caught were very common and well represented (not the species’ we were searching for on this trip). It’s still very thrilling to spot and try to catch one. I got a 20 minute adrenaline rush afterwards…it was exciting.

We did encounter some dangers in the form of venomous snakes, scorpions, and of course, spiders. You don’t really see the spiders during the day, they are there. At night, they are everywhere. When we scanned the landscape with our flashlights, all we saw were eyeballs looking at us. It was straight out of a cartoon. There were slips, falls, and butts landing on rocks, always looking worse than it really was and always followed with laughter.

Even with our so called “dangers,” it’s nothing compared to the peril the frogs face. They don’t even know what’s ahead. They continue to do what they’re suppose to; the males present themselves to females, search for food, hide from dangers and maybe survive from Chytrid. Some may say the plight of the frogs is hopeless, and yes you can shrug your shoulders and say “oh well.” I choose to see it a little different. We can become champions for these animals. Champions like Eduardo, who has dedicated his life to finding, collecting, and ultimately saving them, or like Bob Chastain and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo staff, who are helping this crisis on the ground and through financial means. With, what seem to be the actions of a few people, these frogs, who are thought to be hopeless, now are given hope. I think I will choose to give hope. Our actions give hope. Yes, I went into this journey with “open-eyed ignorance” but came back with open eyes and a little (less ignorance) more education.

Jenyva's Blog: Where have all the frogs gone?

2011-03-01T06:45:00.000-08:00

We asked each of our travel team members to write about their journey to Panama. They are all so different and have such amazing perspective. Here is what Jenyva Turner, Zoo Keeper at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, wrote:

February 17, 2011
The first waterfall- Cerro Brewster- Panama

For the last three days, we have been actively hiking and searching for frogs. Our day hikes, while productive in the sense that finding little to nothing still provides valuable information, have only produced two Atelopus limosus and a few other more common frog species. Therefore, Ashley and I decided to try out the “sit and wait” approach to wildlife viewing. I love doing this at home in Colorado- choosing a spot to sit and see what creatures come into view. It’s amazing how much more you see when being still and quiet and allowing the animal to come to you. It’s difficult to spot highly-camouflaged small frogs that blend into the mossy rocks they are found on. And as quiet as we were walking around, it’s tough to be quiet when sloshing around stream beds, stepping over branches and slipping on rocks. They know we are coming and even though they knew we were there it still felt like a worthwhile try since Atelopus limosus is our target species for this trip.

We went to a spot that has produced Atelopus in the past trips as well as this trip, thoroughly scanned the area for snakes and sat down to wait. The area we chose has faster moving water since Atelopus lay their eggs in faster water to reduce competition from other frog species and reduce predation. The tadpoles are specially designed with little suction cup disks on their bellies to help them hold onto the rocks and keep them from being washed away. Pretty cool! It’s amazing how specialized life is to survive.

Sadly though, sometimes life is too specialized and as a result when something new is brought into the environment, it suffers- as in the case with chytrid. I learned that 80% of frog individuals in this section of stream in Cerro Brewster in eastern Panama, have been affected by chytrid. 10-15 species out of the 25 frog species affected are gone entirely. Why does that matter? After all, we have found frogs the past few days, we hear frogs every night- so evidently not all are being wiped out by chytrid. Wouldn’t those species just move into the areas occupied by the extinct species and fill the same ecological niche? I needed to know that answer and got some great insight from Edgardo, director of the amphibian conservation center of EVAC in El Valle, Panama. His answer was that these frogs live in different levels of the tree canopy in the forest and have specific predators that specialize on them. Those predators have to move down the canopy, further into the forest, etc, displacing other species in the process when they lose their main food source. This puts them into direct contact with species that they have never had contact with before, thereby increasing the chance of disease transmission. I thought that was a good point. There is also the added argument that the next medical breakthrough could come from the skin secretions of a frog that is now extinct. Obviously, the biodiversity of the forest must be maintained, as much as possible- even though the future of many amphibians looks rather grim.

It’s tough to sit here and think about that while peering through binoculars at what would seem to be the ideal frog habitat. Where are the frogs? The forest is full of so much other life- lizards, snakes, freshwater crabs, snails, mammals, birds, spiders and insects of all types- butterflies, cockroaches, locusts, stick insects, katydids, ants and mantids- yet very few frogs. It’s very sobering.

The water trickling by is very soothing. I can hear that it’s raining, but the rain isn’t able to penetrate the canopy above. An iridescent emerald green hummingbird just buzzed by. A trail of leaf-cutter ants are marching up the dirt wall behind me. Life around me seems to be going on as normal, despite my presence. Life in general seems to go on despite human presence, but it’s not as rich and I can’t help but think about “Where have all the frogs gone?” Hopefully, we can help them.

Ashley's Blog: A Journey Begins with a Single Step

2011-02-28T13:00:00.000-08:00

We asked each of our travel team members to write about their journey to Panama. They are all so different and have such amazing perspective. Here is what Ashley Young, Interpretive Keeper at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, wrote:

Panama, Thursday February 17th 14:39

As I sit here on a cold stone between two rushing waterfalls, I am in awe of the astounding things I have seen here in Cerro Azul. Everything is wet. Last night there was a snake as thin as a pencil trying to swallow a lizard, birds of every color and size, and spiders as big as my hand. My eyes are open to so many new and inspiring sights but I cannot shake this unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach when I consider all the sights and sounds that are missing.

Yesterday we started searching for Atelopus limosus in the morning and did not return till dusk yet found nothing. We have encountered 30 amphibians, 19 collected and others swabbed and released. To me that seems like so many but these forests used to be teeming with frogs. In years past they have collected 80 frogs. There is only 20% left of the original population in this stream and some species are completely gone. So quickly they have disappeared. My mind wanders to what must have been. I can imagine the nights so loud with frogs that you cannot sleep and the leaves so full that you cannot walk two steps without spotting a frog. I cannot shake this missing character in the story of the forest.

The effects of Chyrid BD are very real in this stream, Panama, the greater Americas and at home here in Colorado. The symphony of the rainforest here has brought me to tears on several occasions but it is missing its strong bass. The deep reverberation of hundreds of frogs calling out into the night. Though we found three Atelopus limosus and a handful of other frogs to preserve in captivity, I wonder how long the music can last without big changes being made all over the world. So many living things depend on a healthy and diverse amphibian population that life as we know it will be forever altered if they keep disappearing at this rate. Sitting here in this stream, in this little valley in Panama the reality of the crisis seems so real, so evident, so clear.

As we hike out tomorrow each step will take me farther and farther from this quiet stream but the reality of the amphibian crisis will still be ever present in my mind and in my conversations back in the Loft at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. So much needs to be done and we are not powerless. Efforts can be and are being made but we all must do our part to impart real change. I begin that journey tomorrow with a single step.

FOX 21 Reports: Zoo team returns from Panama

2011-02-24T10:20:00.000-08:00

Zoo team returns from Panama frog expedition: "The five member team from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo spent nine days in the jungles of Panama as part of a global effort to save amphibian species on the verge of extinction due to fatal chytrid fungus."

Watch the video.

Read the entire story.

Thank you FOX21 for your update and report!

Searching for Ghosts: Part II

2011-02-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

Now that our team has arrived back home after a 9 day expedition (February 11-19, 2011), we are excited to share their journal entries from the trip. They were unable to send anything to us from the field with limited/no access to the internet or cell phone service.

Our team when they arrived in Panama: Jamie, Ashley, Jenyva, Antonia, and Bob.

Here is Bob Chastain's, President & CEO, and expedition leader, first journal entry:

Day 1 & 2:
It's one thing to say we are going on expedition to Panama to find out if any of a species remain in an area. It is entirely something else to find NOTHING. Day 1 was spent as, each of our expedition's first days were spent, trekking to the Cerro Brewster camp. The first night Jamie and I went out for two hours and found one frog. It was a temporary joy. Day 2 was spent searching down stream from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. We were headed to a place two hours down stream called Atelopus Falls on my GPS. A year ago we had found several of the last Atelopus limosus collected in Cerro Brewster and I was excited to see if we would find anymore there on this trip.

At the Atelopus Falls.

By 11:30 a.m. we had arrived at the falls and found nothing. Continuing down we found a congruence of two streams. The streams were of equal width and volume. It was a great find. It was a new opportunity for hope. Maybe chytrid had not been up this stream. After a couple of hours we came to believe chytrid was there. We found nothing. The plan was to go back to Atelopus Falls just before dark and check one last time. The group was tired as we came to the falls again. Edgardo and I were the last to com through when I heard a gasp. He found one! It was two feet in front of my hand, deep in a crack. A young frog, it was half the size of an adult, but some orange on it gives us hope that is may be a female. It was a good find. If it is a female and she survives the trip and the treatment for chytrid, she could be only the second female in captivity.

Searching for frogs.

We finish the night with two more frogs of various types and one we could not reach, high above another waterfall closer to camp. Dinner was a can of green beans and a bit of Edgardo's Lipton cheese and broccoli pasta. I fell asleep listening to a Panamanian member of the expedition talking late into the night in quiet tones.

Day 3
Three members from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo team, Antonia, Ashley and Jamie, headed downstream back to Atelopus Falls. Jenyva stayed with Jorge and Angel to process frogs, a task consisting of weighing, measuring, and logging all vital information about the collection, sex, and identification. The frogs are then given a bath in a solution called itraconazole. This antifungicide has proven an effective and safe way to treat species to rid them of the killing fungus. Each one goes in a one quart bag and gets several tablespoons full of the solution mixed with water. We wait exactly ten minutes and remove the frog. This process is repeated for 10 days and the chytrid is gone.

Processing frogs at camp.

Edgardo and I took a different route. We took a small path east on a rumor of another stream 2 hours away. Walking all day on the rocks is not a picnic but slogging up and down the wet slopes is no joy either. Just when we were about to give up, the path split. We took the right fork. It was less marked and smaller, more recently cut and less established but our rumor had two directions. Walk for one hour and turn right. With that we walked 30 minutes more and found the headwater of a pretty impressive stream. Our GPS told us it was the top of the new stream we found the day before. Like yesterday’s find this was a good find, except a year too late. One thing it did tell us was this one could make an argument that chytrid was not killing frogs, it was our collection that was causing the number to dwindle. We searched the next few hours and only found one frog. It was a male Atelopus limosus. That was good. The day ended on a 10 hour loop with only one frog.

Atelopus limosus collected and being processed.

The good news is the other group, consisting of Jenyva, Jorge and Angel, found a female. Jenyva found both of the two frogs that day. If the female can survive the measuring, antifungicidal bath and the 4 hour horse ride out, she will be the second female in the world in a captive breeding program. Our chances for success just doubled. She is only half grown and could be alive for several more years if all goes well. With that one frog we accomplished the goals of the trip. The day ended with a largely unfruitful night trip consisting of swabbing and releasing frogs. “Swabbing” is a test to see if chytrid is still around. Every amphibian around gets swabbed now days. Partly as a matter of science, but partly, I suspect, with the false hope that something will show up resistant.

Day 4
Today was slow. Everyone was exhausted from the miles and hours logged. As I learned last time, distance in the jungle is measured by time and not distance. Yesterday’s 10 hour day was most likely about 3 miles. Antonia and I searched what we call “2nd Stream.” That name was given before we knew about any other major streams in the area. It was nearly dry and we found nothing to show for our work. We did find one small frog on the trail in, and an anole with a beautiful red stripe down its back. We would release both the next day. The other 3 from the Zoo would search downstream again and find nothing. My night ended as I watched the Panamanians head off into the night, head lights bouncing in scattered chaos, just as the rain came in one last time. Coming in as usual in the distance, then hitting the tree canopy, then the shelter roof, then the ground. Softer at first, then loud and hard. Tomorrow would be the last day and we planned an early start to search for Atelopus one last time.

ENDANGERED FROG FOUND IN THE JUNGLES OF PANAMA

2011-02-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

-- Find gives hope of a sustainable population, but there’s still work to be done --

February 22, 2011, Colorado Springs, CO – A Cheyenne Mountain Zoo team led by President Bob Chastain is back in Colorado after spending nine days in the jungles of Panama as part of a global effort to save amphibian species on the verge of extinction due to chytrid fungus. The team was searching for the endangered Atelopus limosus harlequin frog, and collected one female, two males, and a juvenile (sex to be determined). Until this trip, there was just one Atelopus limosus female and four males in captivity in the world. The female found by the team is especially important in creating a viable, sustainable population.

“I saw first-hand how grave the situation is, and it’s sobering,” said Chastain. “But there’s no time for despair. There’s work to be done and we have to dig in. As Americans, we are no strangers to digging in and dealing with monumental problems.”

Over one-third of the world’s amphibians are threatened with extinction. The rapidly spreading chytrid fungus is taking a huge toll, wiping out 30% - 50% of species in its path, species which could hold the key to significant medical advances against HIV, cancer, and other diseases.

“The forest is getting quieter and quieter,” said Chastain. “During our first trip in November of 2009, the sound of frogs was almost deafening. That’s not the case anymore.”

This was the fifth expedition for Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The team of five spent as many as 13 hours a day hiking the remote, mountainous area of Cerro Brewster looking for the Atelopus limosus, a half-dollar-sized frog that blends in with the dark rocks and green moss. The only tools at their disposal were walking sticks to move leaves and rocks.

“It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” said Chastain.

When a specimen was found, the team swabbed the frog to check for chytrid. Each frog was then placed in a plastic bag and transported to a bio-secure breeding facility at Panama’s Summit Zoo, where another Cheyenne Mountain Zoo staffer assisted with veterinary care.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo team member, Jenyva Turner, holds a bag with an Atelopus limosus inside.

“We’re seeing entire populations go extinct before our eyes,” said Chastain. “By finding these frogs and treating them, we’re at least giving them a chance at survival. In the words of ecologist Aldo Leopold, to keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.”

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo hopes by getting involved before amphibians are gone forever, future generations of scientists will have the resources necessary when it comes to curing environmental disasters and making medical history.

See photos of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo team searching for frogs in Panama.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a founding partner in the international Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project initiative. The organization’s mission is to establish amphibian assurance colonies and develop methodologies to reduce the impact of the chytrid fungus so captive amphibian species may one day be re-introduced to the wild. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was joined this trip by representatives from other Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project partners, including Houston Zoo’s El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC), Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and Summit Zoo. Zoo New England oversaw the veterinary support. Africam Safari, ANAM (Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente), Defenders of Wildlife, and Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park also fund and provide support for the project.

Breaking Update from Panama Team...Female Found!

2011-02-18T14:15:00.000-08:00

We just received the most exciting text message from Bob Chastain, President and CEO and a member of our Panama team. We wanted to share the news right away!

We found a female!! Eight people searched 5 days and we found 4 total Antelopus limosus frogs. 1 female and 3 males. We brought a total of 19 frogs out (15 were other species). Everyone is safe.

There is currently just one Atelopus limosus female in captivity in the world. The team traveled last week to the Cerro Brewster region in hopes of finding the frog, and specifically a female. Without additional females, there is little hope for a viable, sustainable population.

Atelopus limosus. Female on the right.

See photos of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo team and the Atelopus limosus.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a founding partner in the international Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project initiative. The organization’s mission is to establish amphibian assurance colonies and develop methodologies to reduce the impact of the chytrid fungus so captive amphibian species may one day be re-introduced to the wild. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will be joined this trip by representatives from other Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project partners, including Houston Zoo’s El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC), Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and Summit Zoo. Zoo New England will oversee the veterinary support. Africam Safari, ANAM (Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente), Defenders of Wildlife, and Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park also fund and provide support for the project.

Update from our Panama Team

2011-02-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

With limited communication we do not anticipate a full update until our team is back from Panama, but they have promised to text and write us as they can. Here are some of the text messages we have received so far!

Friday, February 11
The team in the airport...we are about to head to Panama.

Ashley, Jenyva, Jamie, Antonia and Bob.

Saturday, February 12
We will leave tomorrow at 7:00am from Case De Camps. So far weather is great. Edgardo found a small population of Atelopus a few miles from our camp in early January. Hopes are high. Saw over 35 species of birds today. Tell everyone we are ok. Have a great week.

We will report more as we hear from them! Keep checking back!

SEARCH FOR ENDANGERED FROG IS ON!

2011-02-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

...AS CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO HEADS BACK TO THE JUNGLES OF PANAMA

-- Only one female Atelopus limosus exists in captivity in the world, but a Cheyenne Mountain Zoo team hopes to find more --

February 10, 2011, Colorado Springs, CO – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo President Bob Chastain is leading a local zoo team back into the jungles of Panama tomorrow (February 11 – 19) as part of a global effort to save amphibian species on the verge of extinction due to chytrid fungus. It’s the fifth expedition for the zoo, and Chastain’s largest zoo team yet. This trip, five members of the group will hike to the remote, mountainous area of Cerro Brewster in search of the endangered Atelopus limosus harlequin frog.

They’ll rescue specimens at greatest risk and take the frogs to a special bio-secure breeding and care facility at Panama’s Summit Zoo. An additional Cheyenne Mountain Zoo staffer will be assisting with veterinary care at the facility. The team is especially interested in finding females.

There is currently just one Atelopus limosus female in captivity in the world. Chastain previously made expeditions to the same Cerro Brewster region in hopes of finding the frog. This time, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is making the trip during the dry season, when amphibians are more likely to come down to the water from trees to breed. The team feels it will be their best shot of finding the species. Without additional females, there is little hope for a viable, sustainable population.

Over one-third of the world’s amphibians are threatened with extinction. Habitat loss and environmental pollutants are taking their toll, as well as a rapidly spreading amphibian chytrid fungal disease. The disease wipes out 50% of species in its path, species which could hold the key to significant medical advances against HIV, cancer, and other diseases.

See photos of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo team and the Atelopus limosus.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a founding partner in the international Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project initiative. The organization’s mission is to establish amphibian assurance colonies and develop methodologies to reduce the impact of the chytrid fungus so captive amphibian species may one day be re-introduced to the wild. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will be joined this trip by representatives from other Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project partners, including Houston Zoo’s El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC), Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and Summit Zoo. Zoo New England will oversee the veterinary support. Africam Safari, ANAM (Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente), Defenders of Wildlife, and Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park also fund and provide support for the project.

If You Build It, They Will Come

2011-02-03T11:00:00.000-08:00

Our own Katie Borremans, PR manager, wrote this great story for the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project Blog about creating an oasis for amphibians in your own back yard! Check it out...

– By Katie Borremans, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
It happens every year about this time, and despite the fact there’s a fresh layer of snow on the ground in Colorado Springs, spring fever is setting in. I’m already looking forward to spending time in the yard, pruning and planting. As you begin to plan your garden for the year, why not keep the bugs at bay naturally by creating a backyard oasis for amphibians? Frogs and toads gobble up mosquitoes and other insects, which are not only a nuisance, but can carry diseases like West Nile Virus.

For those in North America, creating a natural habitat in your backyard will help attract native frog species, like this bullfrog. (Photo by Brian Gratwicke, Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project)

The National Wildlife Federation has some great tips for easy water features to make frogs and toads feel right at home. You can purchase pre-formed pond liners at your local garden center, or use a flexible pond liner to create a custom shape. Place your pond in a spot where it will receive some direct sun (avoid full sun for the entire day), and plant native grasses and other vegetation around the edge. Be sure there’s a ledge to provide gradual depth change, which allows critters to get in and out easily. You can also stack rocks or logs to help them. It’s best not to add chlorine. Instead, add a bucket of water from a nearby natural pond or stream, which will introduce all kinds of organisms to help keep your pond healthy. Adding a little barley straw will limit algae growth as well.

No room for a pond? Try placing a toad abode in a shady spot near a large saucer of water. Just turn a ceramic flowerpot upside down and prop the edge up with a rock so toads can get in and out.

Most importantly, never purchase or move frogs or toads to your backyard, which could end up killing them. Remember, if you build it, they will come. Check out the National Wildlife Federation for more backyard habitat ideas!

Amphibian Conservation Newsletter 2010 Highlights and Accomplishments

2011-01-19T09:50:00.000-08:00

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) communicates news about amphibian conservation internally to the AZA community and externally to the public through a variety of media outlets including an Amphibian Conservation Newsletter and articles in AZA's member magazine CONNECT. These communications are provided to share the latest scientific information, foster a community of support for amphibian conservation, and inspire conservation action.

Amphibian Conservation - 2010 Highlights and Accomplishments

The AZA Amphibian Conservation Newsletter provides valuable up-to-date information about the amphibian population decline crisis and the latest conservation efforts being made to address them.

Our Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project is highlighted, along with what all the other zoos are doing too. Click to read the full newsletter.

2010 Year End Update

2010-12-28T13:00:00.000-08:00

The Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project, which includes nine partnering organizations, made tremendous headway in 2010. The partners secured three new shipping containers donated by Maersk and APL that the project will use as biosecure rescue pods at the Summit Zoo in Panama. Researchers ventured through the Panamanian rain forest and successfully rescued a number of priority species ahead of the chytrid fungus wave, including the Toad Mountain harlequin frog (Atelopus certus) and the Pirre harlequin frog (Atelopus glyphus).

Toad Mountain harlequin frog (Atelopus certus)

Pirre harlequin frog (Atelopus glyphus)

During these expeditions, rescue project scientists also discovered what they believe are three new frog species—a Pristimantis with a bright red belly that is uncharacteristic for rain frogs (earning it the nickname “red tomato”), another Pristimantis that is larger than any known in the region, and what appears to be a Craugastor that has unique skin folds on its arms and feet that distinguish it from other closely related species.

"Red Tomato" Pristimantis

The rescue project also began to propagate some of the species it is safeguarding, including the lowland color-form of the Limosa harlequin frog (Atelopus limosus), the Toad Mountain harlequin frog (Atelopus certus) and the La Loma tree frog (Hyloscirtus colymba). Although the La Loma tree frog is notoriously difficult to care for in captivity, the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project was pleased to be the first to reproduce this species. Because species-specific requirements are unknown, the biologists are especially vigilant in carefully monitoring the metamorphs during the first few critical and delicate months of a frog’s life. As project researchers break new ground, they are learning and perfecting new breeding and rearing techniques.

La Loma tree frog (Hyloscirtus colymba)

First to Breed Critically Endangered Tree Frog

2010-12-09T13:00:00.000-08:00

As frogs around the world continue to disappear—many killed by a rapidly spreading disease called chytridiomycosis, which attacks the skin cells of amphibians—one critically endangered species has received an encouraging boost. Although the La Loma tree frog, Hyloscirtus colymba, is notoriously difficult to care for in captivity, the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project is the first to successfully breed this species.

A Limosa harlequin frog that recently underwent metamorphosis. (Credit: Angie Estrada, Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project)

“We are some of the first researchers to attempt to breed these animals into captivity and we have very little information about how to care for them,” said Brian Gratwicke, international coordinator for the project and a research biologist at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, one of nine project partners. “We were warned that we might not be able to keep these frogs alive, but through a little bit of guesswork, attention to detail and collaboration with other husbandry experts—we’ve managed to breed them. The lessons we’re learning have put us on target to save this incredible species and our other priority species in Panama.”

The rescue project currently has 28 adult La Loma tree frogs and four tadpoles at the Summit Municipal Park outside of Panama City, Panama. In addition to the La Loma tree frog, the project also has successfully bred the endangered Limosa harlequin frog, Atelopus limosus. Keepers will continue to carefully monitor the tadpoles of both species.

An adult La loma tree frog. (Credit: Brian Gratwicke, Smithsonian’s National Zoo)

Nearly one-third of the world’s amphibian species are at risk of extinction. The rescue project aims to save more than 20 species of frogs in Panama, one of the world’s last strongholds for amphibian biodiversity. While the global amphibian crisis is the result of habitat loss, climate change and pollution, chytridiomycosis is likely at least partly responsible for the disappearances of 94 of the 120 frog species thought to have gone extinct since 1980.

“Although the outlook for amphibians is grim, the rescue project’s recent developments give us hope for these unique Panamanian species,” said Roberto Ibáñez, local director of the project and a scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, one of the project’s partners. “We are creating what amounts to an ark for these animals so that their species may survive this deadly disease. We’re also looking for a cure so that someday we can safely release the frogs back into the wild.”

Of Panama’s six harlequin frog species, five are in collections at the Summit Zoological Park and the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center in El Valle, Panama. One species, the Chiriqui harlequin frog, A. chiriquiensis, from western Panama, is likely extinct. The other species range from being extinct in the wild—the Panamanian golden frog, A. zeteki—to being endangered.

The mission of the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project is to rescue amphibian species that are in extreme danger of extinction throughout Panama. The project’s efforts and expertise are focused on establishing assurance colonies and developing methodologies to reduce the impact of the amphibian chytrid fungus so that one day captive amphibians may be reintroduced to the wild. Project participants include Africam Safari, Panama’s Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Defenders of Wildlife, El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center, Houston Zoo, Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Summit Municipal Park and Zoo New England.

For more information, photos and a new video about this work, visit www.amphibianrescue.org.

Panama Amphibian Rescue Project NEEDS YOUR VOTE!!

2010-12-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Just click here and cast your vote for the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project!

The Inspiration to Action asked veterinary professionals across the industry how they would use $25,000 to support and inspire their profession. After the careful review of many inspired ideas, their panel narrowed it down to the 4 finalists. Now it's up to you to decide.

Please forward to all your friends and relatives.

Voting ends Dec. 15.

The frogs thank you. The Zoo thanks you.

Captive Breeding Project In the News

2010-12-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

We are excited that the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project's, of which Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a founding partner,captive breeding program is really hitting the news!

Earth Times published Captive breeding project offers hope for survival of rare tree frogs . Read more here.

E!Science News: National Zoo and partners first to breed critically endangered tree frog

Bio Portfolio: National Zoo and partners first to breed critically endangered tree frog

Innovations Report: National Zoo and Partners First to Breed Critically Endangered Tree Frog

Smithsonian Science: National Zoo and partners first to breed critically endangered tree frog

Amazing Story of Toad Revival in the U.S.

2010-11-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

What a great story highlighting how a community can come together and move mountains for amphibians!

All Hopped Up: Town Unites For Toad Revival

Amargosa toad came back from near extinction in Beatty, NV; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

A small environmental miracle has occurred in Beatty, NV, a former mining town...this is not your typical story of environmental action — the toad owes its comeback to an unlikely coalition that includes ranchers, miners, off-road racers, and opponents of big government...

The toads come out at night, and twice a year around June, so does a team of volunteers assembled by the Nevada Department of Wildlife to count them. Shuffling through a cattle pasture armed with buckets and flashlights, Brian Hobbs, an amphibian biologist with the state, leads a group in gathering the toads. They live anywhere there is water. Read more>>>

Mantellas on the Move

2010-11-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

A hop, skip, and a jump from Panama (well, a little farther than that), the Mantellas are fighting their own battle with potential extinction on an island off the coast of Africa. Madagascar is home to 16 species of the frogs, which are endemic to the country, but collection for pet trade and deforestation are threatening their survival.

We first told you about Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Mantella captive breeding program last fall. It was animal keeper Jeff Baughman’s goal to establish a breeding program for the frogs within the zoo community, and over the past year, he did just that. In a matter of weeks, Baughman’s first batch of 70 captive-bred blue-legged and black-eared Mantellas will be on the move to AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) zoos around the country.

People are drawn to the bright colors of the Mantella, colors that rival those of the more familiar poison dart frogs in Central and South America. However, only a handful of zoos in the U.S. have the endangered blue-legged and critically endangered black-eared species. Baughman started by bringing a collection from a trusted captive breeding source to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s off-exhibit Amphibian Conservation Center. He then created an environment similar to Madagascar’s less humid winter months, followed by increased humidity and daylight to simulate the rainy season. The females laid their eggs in March, and the end result is about 35 blue-legged and 35 black-eared Mantellas.

An adult blue-legged Mantella.

Chytrid has not yet spread to Madagascar, but if it does, the effect would be devastating. Because Mantella populations are so fragmented, they could easily be wiped out by the fungus. That’s why the Wildlife Conservation Society and other experts are looking at creating a facility in Madagascar, similar to the one in Panama.

An adult black-eared Mantella.

What can you do to save frogs? If you’re buying them as pets, it’s important to find out where they came from. Make sure you get your frogs from a trusted captive breeding source and avoid buying frogs caught in the wild.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo guests are helping frogs, too. In 2008 – 2009, the zoo’s Quarters for Conservation program supported a conservation and research organization in helping protect Mantella frogs in Madagascar. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was able to donate over $6,100 to Mantella protection. With every visit this year, zoo guests can vote to provide funding to the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project.

Check out our good friend, the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project for more frog updates and conservation efforts.

First-hand Story from the Panama Expedition

2010-09-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

Visit the Defenders of Wildlife website to read this great article, "Defenders Hops to Panama to Save Frogs", a first-hand account from our most recent trip to Panama.

A Toad Mountain harlequin frog sits on a mossy boulder alongside the San Antonio River. Project researchers collected nearly 80 healthy Toad Mountain harlequin frogs on their June expedition to the Darien.

The article reads:
The toughest work week of my life. That’s how I described my Panama trip to colleagues at Defenders of Wildlife, after returning in late June from a week in the field with scientists from the amphibian rescue project...

I got my first hint of how challenging the assignment would be when I first contacted project director Brian Gratwicke last winter about sending someone along on a rescue expedition. “Send us somebody young and fit!” he said. Youth is overrated, I told myself. I go to the gym regularly and hike, bike and kayak on weekends—so I qualified as fit. But just to be sure, several weeks before the trip I stepped up my workouts to a daily regimen of running and weight training, and lengthened my weekend hiking forays... READ MORE.

Living on Earth airs live Saturday on chytrid and the amphibian crisis

2010-09-14T14:15:00.000-07:00

Tune in to Living on Earth Saturdays (in Colorado Springs on KRCC 91.5 or 90.1 in Manitou) from 4-5 p.m.

This Saturday, September 18, 2010, they are discussing chytrid and the amphibian crisis. See their website for other shows on amphibians.

See this past story, "Leaping Towards a Solution" on Living on Earth that features the Gastrotheca and Shelly Grow from AZA. (2008 year of the Frog)

Living on Earth with Steve Curwood is the weekly environmental news and information program distributed by Public Radio International. Every week approximately 300 Public Radio stations broadcast Living on Earth's news, features, interviews and commentary on a broad range of ecological issues. The show airs in 9 of the 10 top radio markets and reaches 80% of the US.

Expedition Update from Brian Gratwicke

2010-06-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

We just heard from Brian Gratwicke and wanted to share the final results from Bob's most recent trip to Panama.

Letter from Brian Gratwicke, National Zoo research biologist and the international coordinator for the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project.

Hi folks,

I havn’t had time to caption the images yet, but I thought you’d want to see some of the highlights of the recent Darien trip with Smithsonian networks. We got 50 male, 10 female and 14 juvenile Atelopus certus (toad mountain Harlequin frogs). The females are red, the males orange and juveniles metallic green with orange feet!

Thanks so much to the expedition team and to Korin and Erin from the production company. We had a fantastic time.

Brian

Photos by Brian Gratwicke

Panama Travel Journal - Day 6

2010-06-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

Bob was able to call out from the jungle. It is amazing that he had any cell phone coverage. This is what we heard from him:

We just hiked down to this little hotel, and it is like nothing I have ever stayed in before: tin roof and rickety walls, (see photo below). The other photo is of my bedroom.

Bedroom

We collected a lots of male frogs, but limited female frogs because of season timing. Total I think we only found 8 females. Tomorrow morning we catch a flight at 11 a.m.

Panama Travel Journal - Photos from Bob Chastain

2010-06-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

A series of photographs we received from Bob Chastain as they journey into the jungles of Panama. This expedition into the jungles of Panama they will be collecting from a new area, South-western Darién, Panama, and focusing one specific species, the Atelopus certus.

Cow Road Block.

Boat, almost ready to ride.

Police Checkpoint in Darién.

Panama Travel Journal - Day 2

2010-06-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

After a late Saturday morning start I wake to a simple but nice breakfast back on my balcony. It’s not my balcony from home, but I can think of it as so. I have sat here with Kevin and Jamie (Kratt), just before leaving on the flight home after our first expedition, taught a bunch of kids about the joys of seeing a sloth, and today with Brian Gratwicke, the Panama Amphibian project’s leader, to discuss what is going on with the project. Before he arrived I was watching the birds again. I was reminded this morning that two birds define this place: Black Vultures and Blue Gray Tanagers. I see them right away this morning and think about how sometimes the animals and plants we see define the place where we are. Like elk, mule deer, mountain goats, and ponderosa pine define the Colorado Springs’ mountains. It is raining now and I am glad I am not hiking through the jungle in it, yet. As of tomorrow, the only thing that will keep me dry and separated from the rain is my coat, my hammock’s rainfly, and 5 more days.

Blue Gray Tanager

Black Vulture

Panama Travel Journal - Day 1

2010-06-18T16:00:00.000-07:00

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is back in Panama. Bob Chastain, President and CEO, will again be sending us blog posts and updates as he can.

Day 1, Trip 4

By Bob Chastain

Friday, June 18, 2010

It’s strange being back in Pan-a-ma (that is the way they say it here.) Even the air has life here. It’s humid and the sound travels well when wet. I just watched a possum quietly eat a banana while hanging upside down on a rope that holds the fruit, placed there by the staff at our Bed and Breakfast.

La Estancia is a B and B style hostel in Cerro Ancon. It is located in a suburban area. The two and three story buildings give it a more urban feel, but it is in a nice area. There are many rooms at La Estancia, on two floors, joined by long common areas with tables, chairs and other furnishings. Indian art is on the walls and tables for sale. Unlike North American Indian art it is all very colorful and primarily textiles. Squares of brightly colored cotton fabric sewn into bags or left alone for you to create your own.

The bird feeders and fruit hang outside the second story balcony. The patch of trees I look out on must only be 40 yards wide, but are very steep. It separates us from the parking and houses that are just out of view because of the dense forest. From the balcony (over the last three trips when I have stayed here at La Estancia) I have seen possum, sloth, agouti, geophrey’s marmoset, and tons of birds. It is a reminder to me of where I am, with unusual animals, insect sounds, and birds.

I live in the mountains in Woodland Park, Colorado. I have a similar second floor deck. It is 3 feet wide along the narrow side of the house and terminates at a 5 foot by 8 foot deck at the corner of the next side. On this small deck we have a small table and two chairs…on purpose. We have a two person rule that governs this small area of our house. I can sit with my wife, have breakfast with my daughter, and look at birds with my son. From here I have seen black bear, elk, deer, fox, raccoons and many other animals. We also see tons of birds from our deck. I say that, and then I compare the amount of birds we see at home to the amount birds here and it does not seem like “a ton” in comparison. My favorite Colorado bird is the Kingfisher. We see in the late spring and summer. A regal looking bird in my opinion. Sort of a messed up hair-do with a long beak of the front, dressed in a blue and grey tuxedo. I miss him sitting here now in Panama. Tomorrow starts our one slow prep day. I think I will turn in now; I am already looking toward Sunday’s 4 a.m. start.

Press release: Shipping Industry Sends Help as Project in Panama Tackles Amphibian Crisis

2010-04-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

As a disease known as amphibian chytrid fungus continues to wipe out amphibian species worldwide, frogs in Panama are finding a safe haven in a seemingly unlikely spot—between the metal walls of shipping containers once used to transport ice cream, strawberries, coffee beans, flowers and pharmaceuticals. Two of six refrigerated containers to be donated by the shipping company Maersk Line arrived this week at Summit Municipal Park in Panama City, Panama, where the Smithsonian Institution and partners are working to save amphibians in imminent danger of extinction.

“Each container provides us with critical space to house animals that may represent the last chance for the survival of their species,” said Brian Gratwicke, a National Zoo research biologist and the international coordinator for the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project. “The containers are now self-contained ‘amphibian rescue pods’ that have been specially modified to control the climate and keep diseases out.” To view the entire article please visit the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project website.

Panama Travel Journal II - Day 10

2010-01-15T12:35:00.001-08:00

Day Ten, December 17, 2009

We went to bed late again last night and were up at 6:30 a.m. to catch a 7:30 a.m. cab to the airport. The trip to the airport was great and we had a good flight to Houston. Once again, the Houston curse catches up with us, though. My bag does not come through and now we only have 30 minutes until our flight leaves. We are not quite running this time, but we are walking very fast. At the gate, we find we are delayed…again…so we do what we did last time; eat at the restaurant with the plastic knives. This time we make the buffet and kill most of the four hour delay. Arriving in Denver at 8:00 p.m., the snow is a stark contrast to the heat and humidity of the lower elevations that surround Panama City. The trip was successful and once again we will regroup and plan the next trip to get frogs, before time runs out.

Panama Travel Journal II - Day 9

2010-01-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Day Nine, December 16, 2009

Like last time, it is a slow start for everyone. I did Zoo business at the Band B, while Della, Jeff, Eric and Michelle went to work processing and treating frogs. Michelle is our vet technician and she came down to work for the next two weeks. Around 11:00 a.m. Roberto and I went to Summit to meet the group. We picked up boxes of bleach and a few other odds and ends for the group at Summit. While the group processed frogs, I met with the new Summit director, Adrian, and other members of the group to do some troubleshooting. It was a good and productive day. We finish the night with a dinner meeting in an American-style bar called Lums. We were there to meet Biff, the director of STRI. We got a lot of things ironed out and continued to build strong relationships with our partners in Panama.

Panama Travel Journal II - Day 7

2010-01-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

Day 7, December 14, 2009 – “Return to limosus Falls”

I had made the decision to do 3 things on my last day in the field. Hunt the “golden hour,” hunt with Edgardo late into the night since he had had to hunt the jungles alone the last night or two, and cook pancakes for the group.

A good breakfast goes a long way in the field. I brought honey wheat pancake mix, freeze dried raspberry sauce and walnuts. My pan was a $6 skillet from the Wal-mart camping section and I know why it was $6 and the REI was $20-something. When I put it on the heat it warped and bent out of shape. It sort of became a wok. “Bob’s jungle cakes,” just got harder. I eventually had to pour in the batter and then hold each of the four sides over the flame. Nobody seemed to mind the extra cook time and the group started the day with a hot meal. We spent the morning processing last night’s frogs, and prepping moss, water and cups for the trip out tomorrow. We built another shelf out of string and board to hold the cups that would carry the frogs. By 3 p.m. we were far enough along to head to the field. Jeff and I were going to hunt the golden hour and look for limosus. Part way down the stream we met Edgardo who had gone out earlier collecting limosus tadpoles. We agreed to meet at 8 p.m. tonight so I could let him search as long into the night as possible for Gastrotheca and Hemiphractus. Jeff and I set off on a one and half hour walk to “Limosus Falls,” something we felt we should just do. We should not let the long walk on the last day discourage us from seeing if our little frog had been alone. We made it around 4:30 p.m.

We walked down the slot canyon and still nothing. We sat for awhile and talked, ate a snack, and thought about what we were not finding. Jeff decided to search and I decided to pray. I prayed for me, my family, the project and for the frogs. Now this is no joke. I open my eyes, stand up to stretch a little, for you yoga fans I was in a triangle pose, and out jumps a PAIR of Antelopus limosus 5 feet away, almost exactly where I found the baby the day before. You can believe it or not.

Now remember, this is day 5 and so far I had found 2 females. I was excited to say the least. For those of you who really know me, this was worthy of a “super good.” Still we found very little else. Even the golden hour was dry and hotter so there seemed to be less activity. We did check out a side stream and found several good species, saw a real coral snake, and a false coral snake, and enjoyed our last evening in the jungle.

We met up with Edgardo about 8:30 p.m. near “Colymba intersection” by the “strappy leaves.” Jeff took our catch back to camp and Edgardo and I started our next 4 hour search. We spent the evening searching the hillside above the stream for Gastrotheca and Hemiphractus. An hour later Edgardo spotted an interesting frog that I call “the mossy green frog.” It was only one of a few we had found on the trip. We found Edgardo’s wife’s favorite frog and I found a Gastrotheca!! It was my first and it was wonderful. I was like a kid, scared to death it would hop away and I would miss it. Edgardo assured me over and over they were gentle, and he was right. I slowly closed my hand around him and he barely moved. I have this unedited on video if you want to watch me beam like an 8 year old that just caught his first muddy bull frog.

The night ended with only those 3 catches and a swollen and reacting arm on Edgardo (near camp he was stung by something that was not good). We got him back, washed it out and gave him Benadryl. He would be fine.

Panama Travel Journal II - Day 6

2010-01-02T15:41:00.000-08:00

A. limosus

Day 6, December 13, 2009

Today Jeff and I got an early start. For some reason we never do a morning “hunt.” In traditional “hunting” the mornings are a great time to see animals. Because sometimes the work lasts until 1 a.m. I guess early morning comes too quickly.

We are starting to get a little desperate to find A. limosus. We have around 10 now. Last trip we collected 20 seemingly easier. In fact, on the first trip, Mark found one on the first day by the house. Jeff and I have a goal today to stay out longer and go farther than anyone has even gone. We would hunt from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. By 2 p.m. we had basically found nothing, only a few small frogs that were not our targets. So much for the morning hunt hunch.

Just before 2 however things changed. We had been searching all day for a waterfall type area. It had begun to dawn on us that all the limosus we found were in one small area near a waterfall. Most areas develop field names like “the black palm,” “the Colymba intersection,” “Adrian’s log,” ‘Edgardo’s side stream,” and most of the limosus were found near “Bob’s falls.” I found Bob’s falls on the first trip. I was working around this tough rocky area and pulled a 50lb boulder down on top of me. I fell back into the pool below the falls, the Boulder went between my legs and I went totally underwater sitting on my butt. The only thing I didn’t know is Edgardo named the place to commemorate my big plunge.

This new falls though was more like a slot canyon, and mysterious because no one had seen it. We were hours from our vehicle, we had a good feeling, but were anxious because we had not found any limosus and time was running out.
As we walked down the falls and I see a tiny frog and think, “Another small frog we don’t need.” I knew I should find it though and look. After finding it I looked closely to see it was a tiny baby Antelopus limosus. We were ecstatic! We began a frantic search for more in the surrounding area to find nothing. It was 4 p.m. by now and we decided to head back. We found lots during the “golden hour.” The golden hour is something I call the 6 to 7 p.m. hour. It is the time when daytime species go to sleep and nighttime species move to their perches to call. I began to notice the day before, it was my lucky time. On the way back I described the “golden hour” to Jeff and all-be-darned if he did not look up and find one of the best frogs ever. Hemiphractus fasciatus, a frog that looks like a leaf and is also a marsupial frog. We found lots of Colymba. It was a good night.

Panama Travel Journal II - Day 5

2009-12-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

Day 5, December 12, 2009

Today Roberto and I went to the infamous second stream. To be honest, I did not want to go, but Roberto wanted to see it during the day as he did not experience that on the last trip. As for me, I had bad memories and was not at all excited.

The trip started out good enough. Very good in fact. We found a species we had not seen on this trip or on the last. It was on the knoll between our home creek and the second. It is a small frog called Dendrobatidae minutus. About the size of your thumbnail, it has yellow at the crooks of each leg, and a beautiful blue patterned belly. Its like many birds I see, “brown.” But upon closer inspection it is full of color and wonderful. We found several. Edgardo will be happy. He wants some for El Valle. The stream however was a different story, or in fact, the same old story. We found two frogs and that was it. Those were found right at the top when we first dropped in. Even Roberto was visibly disgusted. He reverted to the same behavior Edgardo had exhibited last trip. Taking pictures and notes and light readings. I guess when scientists get befuddled they revert to what they know. Data.

The day was not a loss though. Jeff and I went out a little before dark and between 6:00-6:40 p.m. we caught about eight frogs. I also found a Limosus! That is only the third one on this trip and the first two Jeff found in amplexis. Jeff also found a Hemiphractus, the frog that looks just like a leaf and is a marsupial frog like the Gastrotheca. I first saw it at El Valle as well and instantly fell in love. It was a great find.

I went to bed early, at about 10:30 p.m. My plan was to get up and hunt early as nobody does. I hoped to catch some Limosus by going early. Time for Limosus is running out.

Panama Travel Journal II - Day 4

2009-12-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

Day 4, December 11, 2009

This morning started around 7:00 or 8:00 a.m. for most of the group. It was a slow morning after a long day. I brought pancake mix for the group with walnuts and Mountain House raspberry crumble sauce for syrup. By 9:30 – 10:00 a.m. we were all working. I was building shelves for the frogs. Della, Roberto and Edgardo were processing and treating frogs with an anti-fungicide called Itroconazole. Jeff and Adrian were lining coolers with cardboard for the ride home. We finished chores around 1:30 p.m. and headed out. Jeff went out first and me next. Jeff and I did manage to find a pair of Antelopus in amplexis. As Della said, that female could be the future of the species. All the females from the first collection trip died and one female is not a lot. Especially when there is only one in captivity in the world.

The afternoon ended with me alone at the edge of a water hole, waiting for a Strabomanis bufoniformis to stick its head back out of the water. I missed it. It would be the first of our trip, and would be a good find. On the way back to camp I found a Centrolene ilex and H. colymba. C. ilex are a wonderful green leaf sitting frog. They have crazy white eyes and have left an impression on me since I saw them at El Valle a year and a half ago. The eyes bulge out and have lines through the whites. Nice! H. colymba, of course, is a target species, so that was a good find.

The night ended after a search with Edgardo, Roberto, Adrian and I. As the night went on, Roberto and I split up and headed back at the waterfall, as Edgardo took Adrian to find the prized Gastrotheca. The last thing I said to him was “Find my bufoniformis” and he did, too! Along with a male Gastrotheca. I went to bed (aka my hammock) between 12:00 and 1:00 a.m. and Della, Roberto, Adrian and Edgardo were up talking and winding down the night.

Panama Travel Journal II - Day 3

2009-12-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

After fixing our flat tire, we made the 1.5 hour drive to Chagres National Park. It was somewhat dryer this time, so we drove to the trail head. We got stuck twice and had to be pulled out by Edgardo. His SUV is much better suited to this terrain than the small STRI trucks with highway tires. The horses were at the trail head waiting for us by our 11:30 a.m. arrival. It takes a long time to load the gear of six people on horse back. We let part of the group start off sooner and Edgardo, Adrian and I stayed back. Soon after, I left, then Adrian, then Edgardo. Somehow he always gets (has to) leave last. I made the trip in about four hours this time with the last person making it in about six hours. It was still an epic journey of hill after hill after hill; but the drier conditions and shorter walk allowed most members to cut between two and four hours off the trip.

I asked Della, once on the walk, what she was thinking about, and the answer was typical Della. Frogs. Packing frogs, protocol for washing frogs, treatments for frogs, etc. For me, it was typical Bob. I thought about life; two things in particular. As much as the last trip was a pain, it was a bigger blessing and not because of the work, because of the unknown. With the language barrier and other communication issues we knew very little about the trip, the walk, the conditions, etc. Think about that for a second. In this day and age, in America, how many times does it happen that we don’t walk to the corner store without checking the weather on our Blackberry? In fact, we don’t walk to the corner store at all, we drive in a nicely maintained car. To have an unknown adventure is a true gift.

The second thing I thought about was time and the passing of time. I thought how different this trip was. How already, things are becoming familiar. Less fresh, more scripted. Sure, we still have the Panamanian time delay for everything. Sure, we get up at 4:30 a.m. only to have a flat tire, but much of the adventure is gone. I thought about how hard it is to keep life fresh; and more importantly, how little we try. If we were truthful, we like routine. Starbucks coffee in the morning with this but not too much of that, or iced tea with ½ water since I like my tea weak. The list goes on and on. I think about my kids and how we think when they are raised our job is done. The trouble with this thinking is when there is an end you tend to focus on it and miss the creamy, sweet inner bits. As I am encouraging myself now, I will encourage you. Slow down, look around, enjoy the bits in between the end points in life. The drive to work, the kids’ basketball game, the meeting at work, the bad lunch. You never know what you might find.

“The average man looks at extraordinary things and says ‘wow.’ The wise man looks as the ordinary things and is inspired.”

We finished the night with a two-hour collection trip. Della, Jeff and I found a frog early on. Della ended up finding about three more throughout the night with one Colymba in the group. As a target species, it was a good find. We did find a very sick Rana. It barely jumped at all. Last time they were crazy in the bag. This time, nothing. It was a long day but good as we went to bed around 11 p.m.

Panama Travel Journal II - Day 1

2009-12-10T11:44:00.001-08:00

Glass Frog with eggs

By Bob Chastain
Day One, December 8, 2009

Tuesday - It’s funny how life can turn on a dime. One second the world is piling up around you and the next second your Dad is having open heart surgery and nothing else matters. The call you MUST make matters little as you rear end the car in front of you. Panama is the same.

We left my house at 4:04 this morning to make an 8:30 a.m. flight. The snow and subzero weather made us worry. Turns out we made it to the airport with two hours to spare. Loading went well, and it seemed we would be on our way, except for that darned engine #1. Engine #2 worked just fine, but engine #1 did not want to start. Switch this, bang on that and still nothing. Then some brilliant person thought it must be cold. Two hours later and an external heater, we are off. We are scheduled to land at 2:15 p.m. and the flight to Panama and the three life lines that we are sending to the frogs there are nowhere to be found.

When we land in Houston the captain comes on and says, “The flight to Panama has already left. Please go to customer service.” Then a lady comes on and says, "They are holding the Panama flight. You will have to run if you want to catch your flight." Run we did. Houston is a big city airport with multiple terminals. The run had us sweaty and tired when we reached the gate and they say, “We were never told to hold the flight and it left seven minutes ago.” The airport turns “Matrix” and time stops. What was a huge rush 30 seconds ago has now turned into timelessness. Everything is slow motion now. We are told there are no more flights to Panama and given a hotel in Houston. The world returns to normal.

It’s funny how people react to things like this. Some are angry. Very angry. Some frustrated. Some crushed. Me? I am calculated. I think to myself, “Does getting angry at the lady behind the desk help, or does niceness help?” I try to use the best strategy to get the result I need. In this case, we have frogs to save, but they will have to wait one day. They will have to fight Chytrid in the wild for one more day. They will wait, as we wait.

For a solution to the problem at hand, we get booked into a hotel; make about a half of a billion phone calls to cancel horses at the Panamanian trail head. They were to meet us tomorrow after a 5:00 a.m. departure. The project director will now have a day to make final preparations in-country and the other expedition members will have to put hope on hold. We make the second half of a billion phone calls to check in at work, deal with the latest problems, rebook hotels in Panama that are now full, and look for something to eat.

Modern airports are like small cities with plastic knives. Since we are in Houston, near the coast, we decide on a seafood place and a three hour lunch. We miss the 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. buffet by 20 minutes. Just our luck, since now the expensive dinner menu starts our 3:20 p.m. lunch. But I have to admit, the service was nice and the food was good. We talked to the lady at the restaurant about why all their nice meals come with plastic knifes. You guessed it. National Security. We discussed why people don’t care about forks. They seem dangerous. We talked about how the whole world takes off their shoes in airport security because of one man. Strange place we live in…..

I have stopped taking Malarone, my malaria medicine, because my Achilles tendon is hurting. The one known side effect with Malarone is that your Achilles tendon can just rip and detach for no reason. I am more than a little worried about the walk tomorrow. I have iced it and taken ibuprofen, so we will see what happens. I am sure, right now, you and I are in the same boat. Too many things to think about and not enough time to control all the variables. Who knows how life would turn out if there were no variables? If left to our own designs, I am afraid we would sit wrapped in our version of our “perfect world” with little left to live for. Nobody hates discomfort and “unconvinced” more than me. Without it though, the desire to learn and grow would be lost. Relationships would have no passion. That to me would be the tragedy I would never want to face.

Amphibian Conservation and Rescue Program

2009-12-04T16:00:00.000-08:00

-Panamá East-

Bd Immediate Response Plan:

 Collaborative project among all partners to secure enough founder individuals to support a long range captive assurance breeding program designed to save the top priority amphibian species in Panamá.

 Immediate meeting and conference calls to identify needs.

 Expedite a second collection trip to Panama’s Chagres National Park in early December 2009. Collect at least 20 (10.10 – male/female) – preferably 40 (20.20) of each of the top priority species.

 Identify and outfit area to receive additional rescued amphibians quickly. Additional pods not arriving till January. Remodel a room at Summit Zoo ASAP- to include adding plumbing, water filtration, water outflow treatment, A/C, lighting, racks, tanks, veterinary supplies etc.

 Develop a volunteer program for the next six months + to supply 1 to 2 extra staff a day, (keepers, veterinary support), for Summit Municipal Park animals- and EVACC, if needed.

 Solicit Panamanian volunteers, staff from partner institutions and from other zoos or aquariums.

 Get insect breeding collection population (crickets, fruit flies) up to numbers needed to feed additional amphibians. Will need to import insects at first. Permits need to be expedited.

Panama amphibian rescue tainted by chytrid fungus

2009-12-04T15:30:00.000-08:00

In the aftermath of the first expedition to Panama for the Amphibian Rescue and Conservation (PARC) Project, there is now confirmation that the very fungus the Project team was rushing to rescue frogs from in Panama had already arrived in the area. The purpose of this first expedition was to collect living specimens of frogs not yet affected by chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), the disease that has devastated nearly 100 frog species worldwide. It has now been discovered, through testing on frogs from the expedition’s collection, that chytrid fungus has now begun to attack amphibians well east of the Panama Canal Zone.

The rescue group, made up of representatives from the member organizations of the Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project, began their week-long expedition in the Panamanian cloud forest in mid-November. The Project team, led by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the Smithsonian, collected approximately twenty harlequin frogs (Atelopus limosus) and twenty tree frogs (Hyloscirtus colymba) from Cerro Brewster in Panama’s Chagres National Park.

These two species were brought back to the Summit Municipal Park in Panama while other rescued species were taken to the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC). The EVACC was established several years ago by the Houston Zoo, a PARC project founder, after massive amphibian declines were witnessed in Western Panama several years ago by researchers and visiting scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI).

When screened for disease back in the rescue facility, most of the rescued frogs tested positive for the chytrid fungus. Chytrid attacks the keratin cells in an amphibian's skin. Since amphibians need their skin for respiration, electrolyte balance and protection, changes in their skin chemistry and function is fatal. It is now thought that the electrolyte imbalance causes death due to cardiac arrest. The fungus also damages the nervous system, affecting the frog's behavior.

“Nearly every specimen collected showed signs of the disease, and they are now being treated with anti-fungal baths,” said Eric Baitchman, head veterinarian of Zoo New England.

This discovery of amphibian chytrid on the frogs at this site means that time has now run out for at least four species of frogs that do not live further East than Cerro Brewster and have been extirpated at all their other known sites.

“If we want to save these species, we will have ramp up capacity a lot faster than anticipated,” said Brian Gratwicke of the National Zoological Park. “We thought we had some breathing space, but in fact, we may already be too late for some species.”

This discovery of chytrid on the frogs collected during the recent expedition now calls for different and immediate response from the Project team. Time is of the essence to go back into the area of the Panamanian jungle where the first collection occurred and to quickly collect the still living specimens that are in harm’s way. Once collected in the field, the rescue team will transport the frogs to safety at a recently outfitted isolation unit at the Summit Municipal Park in Panama, where they can be treated for the fungus and kept as an assurance population. But the team has very little time, as the fungus is known to infect and kill in a matter of weeks.

Work has now begun at the various Project institutions to recruit crews of husbandry professionals and veterinary staff who will travel to Panama in the coming weeks and months to begin care for the rescued population which could number in the hundreds of animals. This new urgent situation requires the Project members to focus on saving the remaining amphibians and to ramp up capacity for creating a sustainable safe harbor for them in a much shorter timeframe than originally envisioned.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo President/CEO Bob Chastain, who led the first Panama expedition in November, states it this way, “Here is the sum of the situation. Right now we can find over 100 frogs in three days. What happens when we only can find two a day? I heard the chair of the AZA board speaking to a group of 1200 conservationist and say, ‘we need to be faster, more nimble and quicker in our actions to save wildlife.’ That is what we need now. Fast, quick, nimble!”

The founding partners of the Project are Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Zoo New England, Houston Zoo, Africam Safari in Mexico, the Summit Municipal Park in Panama, Defenders of Wildlife and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. These various conservation organizations came together earlier in the year and pledged their cooperation and funding to combat the amphibian crisis.

Responding to the expedition’s news, the Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente (ANAM), Panama’s National Environmental Authority, announced it would join the Project, pledging $150,000 in support.

“Amphibians are an important part of the cultural and biodiversity heritage of Panama, said Javier Arias, director of ANAM. “We are pleased to announce our financial and logistical support as full partners in the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project to build Panamanian capacity to respond to the global amphibian decline crisis.”

The Project partners are collectively working to establish an amphibian conservation breeding center in Panama to house and facilitate study on 15-20 species that are in jeopardy of being eradicated by the chytrid fungus.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) has challenged all AZA accredited Zoos and Aquariums to take a leadership role during this amphibian crisis. If this effort fails, one-third to one-half of the world’s amphibians could go extinct.

For more information and to learn about ways to help visit Amphibian Rescue.

Panama Travel Journal - Day 10

2009-11-29T11:00:00.000-08:00

Day 10 – November 22, 2009

-By Bob Chastain

As we fly into Colorado Springs the earth looks positively brown and barren compared to the tropics. A place where last night was so warm I slept with not a single cover. Just laying on the sheets with a pillow. I love Colorado though. A place that is still as wild as the jungles of Panama. I also love our Zoo. A place where passion and imagination run wild. A place you helped to build. Built without government dollars; built on hard work and generosity of people like you. With your help we will fight this war and win some battles. The finish to the war is too far in the future, to vague to put a finger on…making the world a better place. Living thoughtfully with the work around us is something we never get to stop. Best of luck on your journey. I will miss the time we spent together through this blog and the memories you helped me keep alive.

Buenos Dias,
Bob

Panama Travel Journal - Day 9

2009-11-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

Day 9 – November 21, 2009

-By Bob Chastain
I start writing again shortly after 7:00 a.m. I am anxious to get you this information and a way to inspire you to make your part of the world a better place. I will move to a new hotel this afternoon that is closer to the airport. A little bed and breakfast called La Estancia.

At 10:00 a.m., a quick visit to the pod to watch activity and video the frog bath I told you about. The frogs get bathed in a solution that is $100 a bottle, but it has to be done to ensure the frogs do not have chytrid. You will see this procedure as we post the videos of Dr.s Della and Eric starting the daily medical care each frog will receive for about two weeks.

La Estancia is interesting after my stay at a very nature-based hotel. I was nervous as we pulled up to an orange apartment building with a big iron gate and a push button to talk into, which lets them speak to the guest. My alert went up as I did not know what to expect. I was led into a hot and humid series of rooms by a man with broken English. As he showed me around the feeling of “Is this going to be OK?” came back over me. But it actually turned out to be a wonderful place. As evening came and the cool air came through the common rooms where people from around the world gather to read, talk, and work on their computer, I fell a little in love with the place.

Kevin and Jamie arrived an hour later with the same hot sweat and humid shine that I had earlier. Within the hour we were watching tamring and blue gray tanagers at the bird feeder. A sloth came down and I was able to share my find with Kevin and Jamie; and enjoy their excitement as I showed them the sloth through my binoculars. A funny squirrel came in with a broad brown strip on his back. Some scarlet tanagers species came in and the night was topped off with a possum. All this from the common area inside this apartment-type bed and breakfast. The night ended with a late dinner after a very scary cab ride where we were prepared to get, as they say, “rolled.” But that is a human interest story that you can ask Kevin and Jamie to relay, if you ever get to meet them in person. All ended well though with a perfect dinner in a local restaurant that would mark the end of our Panama trip.

Everything from here on out would be motion toward home and the hustle of an international airport with Spanish speaking customs agents.

Panama Travel Journal - Day 8

2009-11-26T19:18:00.000-08:00

Day 8 – November 20, 2009

-By Bob Chastain

Today started slowly. I was having difficulty assimilating to any new “home” because I missed my last one. My feet also hurt this morning. The foot funk that started yesterday is now so bad that I can hardly walk. My toes and nail beds are red and swollen and in between my toes looks raw and weeping. On top of that, most of what I have is wet and muddy. My shoes are no exception. I will spend the day doing two things: 1.) transcribing notes to send in for the blog, and 2.) visiting the pod where our frogs will live.

The pod is about 10 feet wide and 10 feed long. In the long run it can hold between 200-500 frogs, depending on size. Right now we will start with about 90. The rest will go with Edgardo to El Villa. Each frog now gets an accession number with which we will track and record data the rest of its life. It gets cleaned and then put into an aquarium that will be cleaned every day during its quarantine period that will last 30 to 90 days. During this quarantine time, it will get treated for chytrid and receive medical check-ups.

Today I met Eric Baitchman, the DVM from Zoo New England who is the project’s acting vet. He has worked in Panama with Edgardo for three years now. He will train Della, our vet, and the vet at the Summit Zoo in Panama where the frogs now live.

We finished the work after 9:00 p.m. tonight and are rushing to the hotel to catch a 10:30 p.m. dinner before heading to a 1:00 a.m. bed time, again.

Panama Travel Journal - Day 7

2009-11-25T13:24:00.000-08:00

Day 7 November 19, 2009, / last day in field
-By Bob Chastain
Today we are all wiped out after a long last night. I was reluctant to let it slip through my fingers and relished the time doing something real and lasting. The horses were coming at about 9:00 am, so Kevin had us up by about 7:00 am with a “we need to get a move on” wake-up call. Once we realized the overwhelming task at hand the hugeness of what we had to do set in. We had a hike that would take some of our group eight hours and we had about 80 frogs to take out of bags, label with all our notes, gather moss, transfer all the frogs to small Tuperware-type containers, and pack onto two coolers that would go on horses for the long ride out. On top of this, we had to pack up four days worth of muddy everything, put it in bags and get them on five horses by 9:00 or 10:00 am in order to make it out before dark. By 9:30 it was clear that this was never ever going to happen. The group decided Mark, Jamie and Roberto would leave early to give them some extra trail time before dark. Matt, Kevin, Della, Jorge, Edgardo and I would stay behind to pack up.

Three hours later we were on the trail. That means it is 1:00 pm and it gets dark at 6:00-ish. Do the math. We were never going to make it at the normal pace and that would have us walking in the muddy darkness. Matt had left one hour earlier and got a little head start. I can’t do a good job of describing the feeling of the hike. I thought and thought about it as I walked hill after hill…..after hill. The best I can do is have you imagine the toughest physical activity you have ever done. Now imagine doing it in ankle deep mud and jungle so thick that you can not really recognize any of the landmarks that you can mentally check off in your head as you pass by. We basically had three landmarks. The house in the valley where we passed up water, and this is about half way. The intersection of the trail with the road that is too muddy to drive, and the house where we took the banner picture on the way in. Most other stuff looks the same. Without landmarks it is just mile after mile up hill after hill. Boiled all down, imagine doing this activity until you feel as if you can’t do it anymore. Now, do it until you are mentally and physically spent. When all of that is done, add two more hours of mud-walking.

You ask the Spanish speaking guides “how much farther” and get the same answer you always get, “Una houra,” one more hour. Hiking this thing in the dark was a real and scary possibility since this same hike took us all day the last time with a 9:00 am start and we have had four long and sleepless nights in the jungle. So what did we do. For those of you who know me, you can deduce that we developed a strategy. In a nutshell, here is the high tech plan Della, Kevin and I employed. First, we would draft off each other like Tour de France riders. Each one taking their turn in the lead setting the fastest pace they could manage. The person in the middle tried to catch up while not getting too far away from of the past leader who was now tired and in the back. The middle person’s job was to catch the leader while not demoralizing the person in last. If that happens the group falls apart and the peliton can never catch the breakaway party. After that, it is pretty simple. Basically run or slip down hills at a break neck pace, literally. Sort of the same technique used to ski bumps or to mountain bike a steep hill. Jog some on the flats and push hard on the uphill until your will and strength are completely tapped. Five hours later as the very last light disappeared, I pulled my pack into the back of our Smithsonian (STRI) truck. I was elated and heartbroken. The first communication I had with the outside world came in the form of a four line text to my wife. “We are out. We just now arrived at the truck. I don’t think my heart will ever be the same. I love you.” My heart breaks now as I write this at the thought of never going back. I can only hope I will, but with partners all over the country, who knows if I will ever get another slot to go.

Day 7, past midnight

It’s now 12:46 am in the morning and six hours after we hit the truck. I have eaten at a Panamanian KFC, delivered frogs to the drop off point, showered with my clothes, treated all my wounds and insect bites with iodine and alcohol, treated my red and infected feet, and now I lay writing this in a huge hotel room wishing for a hammock in the jungle after a wet and strenuous day of searching for frogs. I started this blog stating my principle that I believe you hope there are people out there doing the work to save the things we all love and wish to protect. The things you can hardly remember in your busy day-to-day life. The things I am scared to death I will forget as I get farther and farther from the jungle. The sound of a heavy rain as it comes through the trees and then hits the tin roof of our shelter. The feeling of the cool morning air as I finally get comfortable in my hammock. The “pop” of the gastrotheca frog late in the night. The feeling of a warm Mountain house meal in my hand. The feeling of watching Edgardo catch a frog and have the joy of a 9-year-old boy, the sound of howler monkeys, and the though that I just passed an eyelash viper and it failed to bit me. Little things that I know will grow dim with time. The way, as your child grows, you know another day has passed and you will lose them soon. I feel the slipping away now. My heart that was healed when I caught “Bob” now feels broken because, while people like Jeff Corwin make nature fun and accessible, it is slipping away and I know you don’t want to think so. “Things must be getting better,” you say. Actually some things are, but there is much work to be done. And like the frog’s race against the onset of chytrid, you race against things lost that can never return without serious work on your part and our part. Edgardo, who I collected frogs with on the last afternoon, has personally seen the mass die off of frogs in two separate populations in Panama. Who cares about frogs that disappear off the face of the earth? You, I suspect, or you would not be following this trip and opening up your heart to the possibility that you personally can do something to make the world a better place. After all, in reality, that is why we are here. To put these wonderful species into a protected breeding program. An assurance or insurance policy against their disappearance while we wait for people to get serious about the conservation of the natural world; and I can see it happening now and in my kids eyes. I have hope for animals and their world.

Panama Travel Journal - Day 6 Continued

2009-11-23T12:57:00.000-08:00

Past midnight, Day 6 –

Hope. “Hope For Animals and Their World”, is the phase I want to write. It is the title of the most recent Jane Goodall book that talks about the positive steps to conservation action done in recent years.

We just returned from our last night of collecting. Edgardo, Roberto and I returned to the stream we searched earlier today. We left camp around 9:00 pm and did not return until nearly midnight. Our goal was to see if our worst fear was true and the frogs were really gone.

We had a great night! We caught three Gastrotheca, the marsupial frog. I got one collection captured on video that I will post. A gorgeous female that Edgardo is very happy to have in his recue facility. We caught one limosus and a few others that were not on our list. Today was a defining moment for me. While my fears have not gone away, nor should they, I have Hope. Something I did not have earlier today.
-Bob Chastain

Panama Travel Journal - Day 6

2009-11-23T12:51:00.000-08:00

Through a communication glitch, we will jump over Day 5 and continue Bob’s blog entries with Day 6. We’ll catch up with Day 5 later this week...
Day 6 November 18, 2009 –

7:00 pm -Today the group split into two. Della, Mark, Jamie, Kevin, Jorge and Roberto stayed in camp to process frogs. That basically involves opening the plastic collection bags, letting in new air, sexing the frogs and rechecking identification, recording the data written on the bags over to paper field notes, swabbing for chytrid and feeding them. A big job as we now have around 50 frogs. Also, a very important job as the swabbing of frogs for chytrid will tell us if it is in this Panamanian park. If so, we are in big trouble as die-off happens over a period of months, not years. You will be able to see video of this as I post them in a few days.

Edgardo, Matt and I were to make a 45-minute hike to another stream to search for a couple of other species. Not something any of us or the group that stayed behind was looking forward to, since tomorrow we would make the eight hour hike out. This may have been the most important seven hours of the trip for me. That may seem an odd statement given the importance of the finds in the last day or so.

For example, last night we found a big frog called gastrotheca, a frog that is huge by comparison to limosus. It makes a popping sound you can hear late into the night. Though very vocal, you hear them, but never find them. Imagine someone holding a ping pong ball and hitting it once in a room that echoes. It reminds me of a scene from the movie “Hunt for Red October” where Sean Connery is checking sonar on another submarine and he says, “Give me one ping…One ping only please” in a Russian accent. It is also interesting in the fact that it is a marsupial frog and stores its young in a pouch on its back.

More remarkably, we found an ecnonomiohyla milliaria. A large species that can glide! The world’s expert on frogs in Panama has only seen three alive in his 30 years of experience and yet, there it was just sitting on a leaf at waist height.

Why then was today’s seven hours so important? Because we did not find frogs. In a pristine stream 45 minutes farther into the jungle, three qualified people spent seven hours searching, only to find two frogs. Yesterday, during the same timeframe in the stream near the house, we found 13. It flat out scared me. “Were we too late?” kept ringing in my head.

Now being a reasonable but passionate person it is easy to get carried away when you care about something. The reasonable part of me thinks that that doesn’t mean anything. The passionate part does not care if chytrid is here. For the first time, I can imagine the day when researchers will sit in this stream only to find the frogs gone for real. Only the chytrid swabs the other group is doing right now will tell us which part of me is right. I know I have said this to many people in the past, but it is not IF they disappear, but WHEN. Today in my mind for seven hours I lived that nightmare, because in my mind, they were already gone.

The trip to Panama will start normally for future researchers, as ours did. Soon they will realize, as we did, that they have been searching for hours with no success. Then they will take note that there are no tad poles in the water. Then they will take water samples, and they will wait, as we do now, for the results of the chytrid swabs. This killer is unlike other more visible problems like deforestation. I can imagine how it will make you feel when they are gone. When you read on some blog, or in National Geographic, or hear on the news, or see pictures of these wonderful species, that are now gone. When you then stop to think about it and realize what has occurred, you will be sad, as I am sad.

I started these blog entries with the concept that the general public has busy lives and sometimes they don’t make room for the wonders of nature. In their minds they want to believe things will be OK and that other people are out there saving the nameless creatures they do not have time on most days to consider.

Well, I can tell you we are out here and we are doing something and we need your help. The people doing this work need support, that is plain and simple. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, for example, is not tax supported in any way. Of the 215 accredited zoos in North America, less than ten run like we do.

We are supporting this trip with dollars raised through donors and dollars earned at the admissions gate and through memberships; and food purchases, giraffe crackers and more. If the community had not supported us in the last few years, we would not have the cash to be here and not have the pod to move the frogs to awaiting their their wild return. Basically, we need just a few things from you and about a billion other people. We need you to be thoughtful as you interact with the world. This will be harder than it sounds, simpler than you think, and more far reaching than you can imagine. Try not to take or use more than you need and come to the Zoo and support our work or the work of others in any manner that you can. Buy a giraffe cracker at the very least, it all adds up.

Here is the sum of the situation. Right now we can find over 100 frogs in three days. What happens when we only find two a day? I heard the chair of the AZA board, speaking to a group of 1200 conservationist, say, “ we need to be faster, more nimble and quicker in our actions to save wildlife and preserve our way of life” That is what we need now. Fast, quick, nimble….
-Bob Chastain

Panama Travel Journal - Day 5

2009-11-23T11:30:00.000-08:00

Day 5, November 17, 2009

Tuesday – It's my birthday today. This morning started like many camps do; people mill around working to wake up, stretch their backs and legs to check to see if they are sore, sort gear and eat breakfast. This morning though, people greeted me with “happy birthday” or the Spanish equivalent, instead of “good morning.” I’ve decided to get out on my own today, which may not seem like much, but an eight hours hike into nowhere; it is something.

I will walk the stream down below what we call “the waterfall,” a 15-foot steep drop into a deep but narrow slot-type pool below. My trek today has been quiet and wonderful. I am most impressed by the shiny green fern that is so green it looks plastic. It has many tendrils on the underside of the leaf and feels weird to the touch.

Also, out of nowhere today, I found “Bob” the frog! This is that secret place in my heart that I was looking to find when I wrote to you on the first day while in the plane. As I told you earlier, “Bob” is our prime target species, atelopus limosus.

He is a good find since we are still in search of 25 males and 25 females and we have not found that many yet. I found him on a rock appearing as if, literally, from nowhere. They blend in perfectly on the black and green moss of the rocks. As a species, they sit up on the rock and look as if they are flexing their broad peck muscles and always looking for something. I don’t mean upright like a begging dog, I just mean that they don’t lay flat against the rock or leaf with their stomach pressed flat as many species do. Almost as if they are stuck with glue to the leaf.

He is a base color of black with squiggly green stripes. Yes, squiggly is a scientific term. His two tips are yellow. Almost to the point you would describe it as yellow fingernail paint. He has orange on the underside of his thighs and his mate will have even more orange as it goes under the belly more. He is wonderful and the find is wonderful and my heart feels just a little healed.

November 17, 2009 / after lunch.

There is a rhythm to frog hunting. Periods of excitement fade slowly as a quiet searching takes place. I have met up with Edgardo, Kevin and Jamie. We spread out following our hunches on where the frogs might be. Most of our hunches mean nothing. Maybe less than nothing, because we have no experience and looking in the wrong places only serves to keep you focused someplace you should not. Jorge, Roberto, and Edgardo have hunches. They find more frogs than all the rest of us together. They find frogs in areas we have just walked.

Today, as expected, we have been finding limosus which is good since they are the reason we came. Everyone has their own style of searching. Fast and cover ground, slow and meticulous and everything in-between. Slow and meticulous seems to be the best during slow times and fast and cover ground can work well at night when the frogs are at their peak calling times.

The best strategy though seems to be not looking at all, like around camp on the first day. If you go to do something else like eat lunch or pee, you are sure to find one. We haven’t found much since lunch, but as I sit down to write now Edgardo found two female limosus and a baby glass frog.

We are farther now than we have ever been, but distance in the jungle is measured by time traveled and not miles. Sometimes we will search for three hours and turn around to return home only to find we’ve walked a few hundred yards down stream.

Just today, the magnitude of what we are doing is setting in. I am searching in the jungles of Panama with the same guy who took Jeff Corwin on his most recent trip to a remote area of Panama called the Darien to film “100 Heart Beats” which will be out in a month or so. And back at camp is the world expert on the frogs of Panama. We are searching for frogs that may be gone soon.

There are six described species of atelopus in Panama and half are basically gone in the wild. Limosus is only still around because it is east of the Panama Canal and chytrid has just jumped the canal in only the last two years.
-Bob

Panama Travel Journal - Day 4

2009-11-22T11:00:00.000-08:00

By Bob Chastain Monday 9:00 am – It’s pouring rain. The BIG drops. The type you would get absolutely soaked in, in the 20 seconds it takes to run to your car from the supermarket. People were up between 6:00 and 8:00 am this morning. It started raining at about 6:00 am and poor Roberto finally gave up and came in to the porch on the house. Everyone is restless and drinking coffee or tea and eating oatmeal or granola bars. There is not much to do right now but fiddle with gear, talk idle chat and write.

Bob makes walking sticks

Later Monday - We did finally go out to search for frogs from 5:00 to 10:00 pm tonight. I know you would like to hear about the first catch and how exciting it was, but the fact is it wasn’t. We were still spinning from the trip in yesterday, figuring out the rain and trying to get our bearings. The first frog was found not twenty steps from camp on the way to the creek. So were the next several. Only one of them was a target species.

Before our trip tonight, Roberto gave us the plan. There is a prioritized list that was a collaboration of many people but was spearheaded by the Amphibian Ark Project. This list looks at many factors and then rates a frog on the priority list. If you are a frog you make the list, basically, by being very rare and dying easily from chytrid. The scientist in the group would butcher me for that statement, but it is the boiled-down version of the truth. The thinking is 20 to 25 males and 20 to 25 females will make a genetically diverse assurance population.

atelopus limosus

Our number one priority is how to safeguard these frogs. From that, number one on our list is to secure a population of Atelopus limosus. This relative of the Panamanian Golden Frog is only found in three known populations in a central to eastern Panama. It has proved that it is highly susceptible to the fungus and its relative, the Golden Frog, is functionally extinct in the wild. Oddly enough, the first collected frog was indeed Atelopus limosus. We found several species tonight, but it looks as if our next few days we will focus on two species from our target list that seem to be in enough abundance to get a decent start on our collection. Atelopus is found during the day, so we will search from 10:00 am to 4:00 or 5:00 pm for them and then spend our nights looking for Hyloscirtus colymba.

hyloscirtus colymba
Now I know you wish there were easier common names for these frogs, but you will have to get over it, just as we did. Our group did start referring to them as limosus and colymba though. There, that is all you are going to get to make it easier for you. By about 9:00 pm we were ready to head back and try to get some sleep. Tomorrow, Tuesday, we will start the first real full day of searching.

Panama Travel Journal - Day 3 Continued

2009-11-21T17:00:00.000-08:00

-By Bob Chastain

We actually did make it to camp shortly after my last entry. A very nice two room shack, if there is a nice two room shack. Wood floors and walls, board and baton type construction and a metal roof. That is it. It may not sound like much but it is heaven, despite the spiders and other giant insects and the slightly funky smell. Upon arrival, we all pumped water. We looked like a group of thirsty zebra at an African waterhole. All gathered around a small pool in the mountain stream. We were all thirsty and near serious dehydration.

The next task was hammock hanging and it was getting dark. The group spread out looking for trees to hang their hammocks. The “house,” as we began to call it, was small, somewhat smelly and was home to several spiders and three or four of these giant grasshopper like bugs that we began to think were four inch cicadas.

Most people took one look inside and decided outside was better. I did not “spread out,” so to speak. I had already assessed the situation on the way in and down to the creek. That is a skill I have refined from ultra-lite camping. When you normally take less than twenty five pounds of pack weight which includes 10 pounds of food and water for a three day trip, shelter location is key.

I immediately ask the group “is anyone else setting up in here.” Matt said he would and we started making our hammock hanging plan. The rest of the group was faced with an odd situation. Very few trees around the house made it so that they could not be near the clearing and they would actually have to hang their hammock in the thick jungle. At this point in the trip (and night), no one was willing to be so far away from what would very quickly become “home.”

The terrain is also so steep that the house is built on stilts and sits basically on the ground at one end and is about eight feet off the ground 20 feet away. Super steep and few trees make it hard for novice hammock hangers. Not 5 minutes later Kevin calls out, “hey Bob, is there room in there for us?”.

An hour later, finishing by headlamp, we had four hammocks artfully (if you like weird modern art) hung, in a space so small we were told that you would not be able to hang even one. Della and Mark both hung their hammocks under the house on both ends. Jorge would sleep on the ground that night and hang his hammock tomorrow. Roberto hung his in a very steep area just down hill from the house. That night he moved his hammock 3 times, I think. It was so steep he would fall every time he tried to get in, he found a poisonous eyelash viper in his tree climbing down toward his hammock, and the rain would blow in under his rain fly.

The room was now filled with three Cheyenne Mountain people, one National Zoo person, one Panamanian keeper, two giant spiders, three giant cicadas, several one and a half inch flying cockroaches and many other insects under the one inch mark.

I am grateful for small miracles. My daughter Milly gave me a small stuffed bear to bring and being an ultra light camper I almost left it out of my bag. She had given it to me as a birthday gift as she had not had time to make my real gift. She said it always brought her luck.

Now, sitting here in my hammock, in the jungle, an eight hour hike from nowhere and 1000 miles from home, I would not trade it for a new truck. I have a letter from my wife, Antonia, which I will try not to read until my birthday, two days from now.

The animal list today is, to be best of my memory: a three toed sloth, several geckos, multiple insects that I have described, a couple of frogs, many birds that I could never actually see but hear, howler monkeys I could also hear but never see, a false coral snake, a cat-eyed snake and an eyelash viper. It’s most likely midnight, I think I will get some sleep.

Panama Travel Journal - Day 3

2009-11-21T07:39:00.000-08:00

By Bob Chastain
The day broke clear and wonderful. As the other group that stayed at the first hotel arrived at Casa de Campo, we compared notes from the few hours since we last saw each other. The night for those who stayed at the other hotel was as we thought it would be. Blaring, thumping music until 4 am in the morning, followed by a 6:30 am start. Our night was restless but peaceful as we all eagerly awaited our 7:00 am departure. The trail head was one and a half hours of bumpy and curvy driving away from us, as we started our trip. The first stop was the ranger station where we found our jungle survival-trained ranger would not be going with us. At least that trip to the station allowed us to see the only three-toed sloth of the trip thus far. Another 40 minutes and we came to a hill that was so steep and muddy that we could not make it any further. That was the end of the road, so to speak.

The plan had been to drive another hour up the road and park at the trailhead. This little change meant another two hours of walking. At this point, this mattered little, as we had convinced ourselves that what we were told would be a six and a half hour hike we could do in two to four hours. Boy, were we wrong! Two hours into the hike we stopped on hill and took a photo for the Zoo’s blog site. We are holding our Zoo banner. It was at this point we began to change the hiking style from a causal pace to something that began to resemble “worry.” We were not even at the trailhead yet, so hiking in the dark seven hours from now became a pretty big concern.

I can hardly even begin to describe the difficulty of this hike. Imagine starting out on what you think is a four hour hike and eight hours later, nearing the end. I make this journal/blog entry sitting on a big muddy hill, a five minute slosh above a camp I have yet to see.

Dr. Mark Kombert trying to navigate down muddy trail, already five hours into the hike. Bob Chastain is shooting and narrating.

Everyone is “hitting the wall” and I am here awaiting the arrival of the last two members. I have found on this trip that sometimes leading a trip means not being in the front. Leading sometimes means being where you are needed. In this case, it is in the back. Even though this is the height of the rainy season in Panama, it hasn’t rained all day. And we have been following a ridge for eight hours and there has been no water. I stopped sweating three hours ago, as I had to ration the one quart of water that I had brought thinking there would be stream crossings. We literally followed a ridge for hours and hours with not a single stream crossing. I passed water at a house in the middle of nowhere because I thought we were almost there. That was four hours ago. You can see that house in a valley on the blog site, as well. I ran out of water shortly thereafter.

I have been keeping a close eye on one of our members. He hit his wall five or six hours ago and has been cramping badly for the last two hours with every hill, and there are a lot of hills. Things began to get so desperate that I left them and told them if camp is more than twenty minutes away, I would get water and send it back. 15 minutes later, I sit here just about at camp, waiting to give them the news camp is just below us. I ran into Kevin and Jamie here at the top and Kevin went below with a radio in search of the camp. That is how we know we are almost there. I asked him first, “Is there clean water?” When he answered, “yes, there is clean water just below camp,” my heart lifted.I was to the point that I looked at every dirty mud hole and wondered if I could filter that water to a safe point.

Panama Travel Journal - Day 2 Continued

2009-11-20T17:00:00.000-08:00

Now that we have reconnected our communication links with our Panama team, we will be giving you journal entries on a day-by-day basis from Bob Chastain, CMZoo’s President/CEO and the leader of our Panama group. We have already published Day One of the expedition, so we will begin now with an updated entry for Day Two, November 14, 2009. Keep with us as we go through the trip, one day at a time.

Market
As you will see from our photos, we spent the morning in a market in Panama City just killing time while Roberto Ibanez made final trip preparations. We bought a machete for the trip but mostly just observed life in Panama. Roberto is a very soft spoken man who is what we would all call an EXPERT. He literally wrote the book on frogs in Panama. In his 50s, he has spent 30 years studying frogs in Panama. He is the direct opposite of a “Jeff Corwin” type. So quiet and reserved in his knowledge you would think he may have some secret frog DNA that keeps him quietly observing the world of frogs that we all pass by every day. He wears glasses and must move them down on his nose and hold the frog very close to his face to see them well enough, while he studies tiny frog parts to make a correct identification.

Near dark today, we drove to the next hotel. Definitely not your normal, serene out country hotel. Visualize people hanging around partying and playing music so loud you can hear it in the whole complex and you may get the picture. It is a complex with one overhead picnic-type shelter where you get food and the rest is a strip-type collection of rooms, all on the same level. It is the sort of place Americans can never relax because every cell in their body is saying “Be on alert!” Because of a mix up in communication, Kevin, Jamie and I were to stay at another hotel.

We dropped the rest of the group here and we went on to Casa de Campo, a wonderful hostel/bed and breakfast nestled in the natural areas that surround us. I immediately began to feel bad that Mark and Della were having to stay in the other hotel and made a plan to move all of my staff to my room. As soon as we arrived back at the first hotel, Della came up to me and I could tell from the look on her face something was very wrong. When I asked her and Mark to stay with me you could see the look of relief on her face. Remember, this is a group of people who tomorrow night would stay in a jungle shack with six species of venomous snakes, spiders the size of your fist, and insects large and mysteriously gruesome and wonderful. But this was not the same. We are trained our whole lives to be aware of the human threats and this was one of those times.

Hotel Cook
The restaurant had the look of one of those places where you were just sure you would “pay for it in the morning” and that was a very serious thought when this morning you start a long hike and five days in the jungle. There were big considerations on what would be safe to eat. In the end, I ordered what I thought would be a frozen hamburger, Della got fried plantain chips and Mark threw caution to the wind and ordered some sea food concoction. To be completely honest, the food was OK, in fact, Matt’s chicken and rice looked wonderful and thankfully no one got sick.
-By Bob Chastain

Panama - Hike Though the Hills

2009-11-20T12:49:00.000-08:00

The Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project expedition, including the five person team from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, has been in Panama for slightly less than a week. We have heard from Bob Chastain, CMZoo president and team member, that they made it out of the jungle last evening, finishing an eight hour hike in about five hours, arriving back just before nightfall. It was a strenuous hike with mile after mile of steep sloped trail and lots of mud. The team was exhausted after the hike out, and exhaustion took over, as seen in this photograph of CMZoo’s Director of Conservation, Dr. Della Garelle.

This morning found everyone enjoying the amazing scenery and the wonderful hotel, and Bob was attempting to dry out some clothes so that “my bag smells less.” Maybe too much information, but a testament to the rough and tumble conditions they endured while collecting frogs in the ultra-remote Cerro Brewster locale in Panama’s forest jungle.

As we wait for full details, Bob has sent word that two of the frogs saved by the group from the grip of the chytrid fungus on their trip where the Atelopus limosus and the Hyloscirtus colymba. The status in the wild for the Atelopus limosus is endangered; due to limited distribution in severely fragmented forests. As a lowland species, it is probably less vulnerable to chytrid fungus than its highland counterparts where Chytrid is more prevalent, but it is still vulnerable to the fungus. The status in the wild of the Hyloscirtus colymba is critically endangered: due to projected populations declines greater than 80% in three generations. This species has disappeared from western Panama.

Atelopus limosus

Hyloscirtus colymba

Once these frogs are taken to the holding facility at the Summit Zoo in Panama City, they will wait as we work to find a cure for the chytrid fungus. But where specifically will they wait? There is a converted shipping container, as you see on the enormous sea-going barge, that will be the holding facility. The container, immense by frog or human standards, has been outfitted with ventilation systems and holding tanks that will be the homes for the rescued species. As you can see, there is room for a considerable number of amphibians. Subsequent rescue trips into the Panamanian rainforest will bring back more of these endangered species.

We are now waiting to hear more from the Panama rescue group, details of their expedition and photographic evidence of what the did in saving these frogs and how they achieved that.

As we receive Bob’s onsite blog entries, we will pass them along to you in this forum. We’ll start with Day One, back on November 13, and go day-by-day as he relates the work that they did in Panama. Stay tuned.

Panama - Expedition Team Out of Reach

2009-11-18T13:20:00.000-08:00

Panamanian Golden Frog
Photo Credit: Joel Sartore

With the Amphibian Rescue team out of ear shot without cell service in the middle of the Panamanian rainforest (go figure!), we here back at the Zoo can only go by the written schedule we’ve been given on their comings and goings.

This is Day Three of the efforts to collect frogs around the Cerro Brewster camp, swab them for chytrid fungus and put them in safe keeping for the trip back to Panama City and the Summit Zoo. We haven’t spoken much about where our team is staying while on the mountainous slopes around Cerro Brewster.

There is a structure there, the empty work house, where all of the partners on the mission can store their gear and keep the equipment needed to go out “a-froggin’” in the evening hours. Our team plans to string hammocks up outside and sleep (when they can steal a few winks during the day), swinging above the porch. We are all anxious to see photographic evidence of this, if anyone is awake long enough to snap a few shots. We will see at the end of the week when news, photographs and video start trickling back to us from our re-connected team. Stay tuned for that.

These photos of the work house at Cerro Brewster were taken in July of this year, right after a reconstruction project was completed.

In all likelihood, the Rescue Team will not be seeing the national symbol of Panama in the forests around Cerro Brewster, the Panamanian Golden Frog. As our partner in Panama with us from National Zoo, Brian Gratwicke writes:

“If we keep an open eye in Panama and we might just see a Panamanian Golden Frog. Local legend used to promise luck to anyone who spotted the frog in the wild and that when the frog died, it would turn into a gold talisman, known as a huaca. Nowadays, you’ll see the frogs on decorative cloth molas made by the Kuna Indians, on T-shirts, as inlaid design on a new overpass in Panama City and even on lottery tickets. In the market at El Valle de Antòn, you will see them by the thousands either as enamel-painted terracotta or on hand-carved tagua nuts. The one place you probably won’t see a Panamanian Golden Frog, however, is in their native home—the crystal clear streams of the ancient volcanic crater of El Valle de Antòn. In the mountain forests you may spot other similar-looking extant species such as Atelopus varius, but the only local and true Panamanian Golden Frogs Atelopus zeteki are those breeding in captivity at the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC) at the El Nispero Zoo.”

Tragic, but true.

Frog Finders

2009-11-17T10:25:00.000-08:00

Hemiphractus fasciatus banded horned treefrog – Panama
Photo Credit: Ron Holt, Atlanta Botanical Garden

In response to a supporter’s inquiry about a map showing the location of our team’s expedition in Panama, we wanted to provide this map:

View Larger Map

Additionally, here are some helpful links for those who want to know more about the amphibian crisis:
• Africam Safari
• Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
• Defenders of Wildlife
• Houston Zoo
• Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
• Smithsonian's National Zoological Park
• Summit Municipal Parque
• Zoo New England • Amphibian Rescue

We leave you today with the first in the “Frog Finders” cartoon series drawn by popular cartoonist and artist, Sandy Carmical. This series was drawn in dedication to the Zoo’s Panamanian Frog Rescue expedition. Watch for more coming soon. And a big Thank You to Sandy for the great cartoon!

Panama - Cerro de Campo

2009-11-16T18:56:00.000-08:00

This morning we got up after spending the night in Cerro de Campo. After an exotic breakfast we started loading two trucks from STRI (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute) full of our gear. We had to pull tarps over everything due to the rainy season weather here in Panama. Everything is getting wet in this rain.

Riding to the trail head.
We loaded up and drove off to meet up with the pack horses that would take our gear and provisions on our hike into the jungle. A six hour hike, at that! The camp for the pack horses was shrouded in misty fog, just another way to stay wet down here!

We will set out for Cerro Brewster soon, and our ultimate goal of collecting frogs starting Monday morning. I’m not sure if I explained the collection process, so here’s a quick version. The collections will take place from dusk (right after sundown) to dawn. We will wear our rain gear and be equipped with headlamps to help us find the elusive frogs in the dark. As I have said before, it’s a frustration to be able to hear the frogs all around you, but not see any of them. This will be an intense search in the wet darkness…wish us luck. Once we find a frog we will swab it to prevent its getting the chytrid fungus, check its species type and gender, and add it to the rescue collection. Sounds simple, but add variables like a thick rainforest, tropical rain and steep slippery slopes of Panamanian mountains and you have a challenge. But we are up to that challenge. We will soon be out of communication range to check in with you and our CMZoo colleagues, but they have a list of what is scheduled for us in the next few days, so keep checking back for information on this historic trip on this blog. We’ve also sent many photos that they will share with you in the next few days. As soon as we are back in range of cell service, we’ll be in touch.

Panama - Packed

2009-11-15T11:55:00.000-08:00

"We've packed our provisions and gear in vehicles and we're setting off to meet our pack horses. We'll have a six hour hike into Cerro Brewster and then set-up camp. It's the rainy season in Panama so we have to protect everything from the rain. We'll be using many tarps during our trip."
-Bob

Panama Travel Journal - Day 2

2009-11-14T10:46:00.000-08:00

-By Bob Chastain Since we last talked I had a rough nights’ sleep in a very nice hotel on the edge of the Panama Canal. The Country Inn is like every modern hotel except the floors are all tile in the rooms and the continental breakfast is exotic and amazing, compared to the States. We met Matt Evans from the National Zoo this morning. Matt is a young 30-something with great enthusiasm for all things slithery and slimy. His big wish for this trip is to see some more of a snail-eating snake. It’s a snake who’s nose is shaped like a spoon, so as to be able to eat every tiny morsel of snail part. Today is a staging day. After this entry we will go to the market to look for crafts, go have lunch with Adrian Benedetti. Adrian is a young and handsome man who was the Director of the Summit Zoo, the facility that will house our frogs here upon our return. Adrian is now what you can think of as the director in charge of all national parks, all wildlife and all forestry lands in Panama. After lunch and a little tour, we will go to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and pick up our gear for the drive to Cerro Azul. When I last left you, I told you to take this week to look around. Here is my “saw it” list for the day. Brown Pelican, Great Egret, Whimbrel, male and female Great-Tailed Grackle.

Video of the plaza:

The hustle and bustle in the streets of Panama City

Panama Travel Journal - Day 1

2009-11-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

-By Bob Chastain

As we flew low out of Houston, I had not yet fully realized what it was we were about to do. Looking down over the city it was a site I had seen many times. Not Houston, for I have only seen it only a hand full of times from the air, but civilization. Roads, bridges, ball parks, golf courses and much more. Every city has these elements that make up its fabric. One thing they all have in common though is people. Every time I look down out of an airplane I see life, but no people. Not because they are not there, but because they are too small.

I see cars move, boats move, golf courses and busy roadways. Each time think about the people and wonder what they are doing, totally unaware that I am watching them from above. Today I think they would be happy if they knew what we were doing. I don’t yet know if they would care about the frogs, but I know that they like the thought of frogs. I know they like the thought of a jungle, the thought of adventure and the thought that someone out there is looking out for all those things. Frogs, such tiny creatures that if we we’re all honest, we all love. Sometimes we don’t think about them, but when we do, we love them. In my heart, in a special place, that I am not ready to share yet, I have waited my whole life for this trip.

Somewhere in Panama right now there is a frog, lets call him Bob. Bob’s life is normal now. He has little knowledge that a deadly fungus has been creeping in on him for years. Slowly making its way up the coast of South America and down the narrow track of land from Mexico, through Costa Rica and now into Panama. More than likely Bob and everyone he knows will be dead in less than five years. At the rate in which the chytrid fungus moves, it could be as little as one and no more than five years before it reaches his home in Cerro Brewster.

When it does reach his home, past research shows that it will be devastating. Extensive studies by Karen Lips shows what happened to a population of frogs within a few months of the arrival of the chytrid fungus not far from here. Before this happens though we will collect Bob, and make sure he and a few of his kind live until we find a cure for the killing fungus. People around the world will fall in love with him. We will tell his story and the story of his kind and as with the story of the princess, we will fall in love with frogs all over again.

For those of you that will now follow our journey through this blog I think some introductions are in order. On the trip are Kevin and Jamie Kratt. Kevin was Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s board chair for the past two years and has supported this project from the very start. A passionate person, who loves life, his family and the pursuit of all things excellent. Jamie, his wife, has also been in love with this project and the thought of Bob the frog since the beginning. She, too, wondered what the first frog capture would be like and set her heart toward saving frogs from the first day she heard about this project. She brought frogs to a black tie Zoo event called Zoo Ball this past spring. That takes guts because frogs and ball gowns rarely go hand in hand.

Dr. Della Garelle is the Director of Conservation and Animal Health at the Zoo. She is now doing what she always dreamed she would do. As a Cornell trained veterinarian she has spent her whole adult life using her veterinarian skills to save wild life. Like many smart people her job more often is in the office arranging the saving of wildlife than in the field saving wildlife. It has been over 15 years since she has been in the jungles doing field work. As of late, most of her field work is in the high deserts and plains working with such species as black-footed ferrets and Wyoming toads.

Dr. Mark Kombert is our head vet. All day to day care of the zoo animals is done by Mark. Mark is a gentle man with a calm and free spirit. He worked at our Zoo years ago, when I was the Horticulture Curator, before going to spend several years in England with his family. He has recently returned to the zoo and it’s as if he never left.

As for me, I am a cheerleader. An encourager. A dreamer. The others have brought me along for the ride and more then likely to make fun of me. I just seem to be that kind of person. The, along with the people back at the zoo, do all the work while I get to speak for you and all those people on the Houston highways. The same people on the highways of Colorado Springs. The people that teach our kids, run our parks, pick up our trash, heal us when we are sick, keep our books, cut our hair, run our business and protect our world. Those people who want to know that someone out there is doing something for all the creatures they love, but sometimes they forget to think about.

Life is just plain busy. Just once, just this week, while we are gone and you read along…slow down, look around and know we are working for you. Working to save the animals you see everyday. If it has been a while since you have looked around to see them, do that this week and I will do the same. -Bob

Outside the Airport in Panama

Panama - The Journey Begins

2009-11-13T13:36:00.000-08:00

(The expedition team: Kevin and Jaime Kratt, Dr. Della Garelle, Bob Chastain, Dr. Mark Kombert)

Bags have been packed and our five intrepid travelers and heroes to amphibians are making their way to the jungles of Panama as we speak!

Into the Jungle

2009-11-13T08:08:00.000-08:00

Our Cheyenne Mountain Zoo team Zoo leaves for the jungles of Panama today, with the goal of rescuing tiny frogs from a colossal threat.

The deadly chytrid fungus has extinguished amphibian populations around the globe. The team of five will travel to a small section of Panamanian rainforest untouched by the quickly spreading fungus.

Bob Chastain, zoo president and CEO, will lead the group on the weeklong expedition, which will also include representatives from other organizations in the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a founding member of the project, formed in spring and made up of eight zoos and research institutions.

The expedition is the first “on-the-ground phase” for the rescue effort. Once in Panama, the group will hike into the jungle for nearly six hours, and then spend four days collecting a variety of frog species for a captive breeding program. The ultimate goal: Find a broad cure for the chytrid fungus and reintroduce the protected species back into the wild.

Together with our friends and supporters, we wish Bob and his team the best of luck in this global fight to save these endangered frogs!

Be sure to follow the journey here and on Facebook where you can read daily posts and see pictures of the team’s trek through the rainforest. Bob will update us all via tweets from the rainforest!

Rumors Confirmed!

2009-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

The rumors have been confirmed! A giant Panamanian Golden frog has taken residence downtown at the corner of Pikes Peak and Tejon! Thank you to all our loyal readers, guests and members who alerted us to this amazing phenomenon!

Head downtown to see this terrific site for yourself, then enjoy a scoop of Panamanian Golden Fudge at Josh & John’s! 50% of proceeds go to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo!

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Investigates GIANT Frog Sighting

2009-06-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Officials from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo have been asked to investigate the sighting of a GIANT Panamanian Golden Frog in downtown Colorado Springs.

The Panamanian frog, believed to be extinct in the wild, was first spotted Sunday morning on the corner of Pikes Peak Avenue and Tejon Street.

By Monday afternoon, the giant frog had taken up residence on the east face of the Chase Bank Building…

Have you spotted this GIANT amphibian? If you have any information, please comment to share your story…

Protecting Frogs through Natural Lawn Care

2009-06-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: Joel Sartore

Amphibians are highly sensitive to contaminants like fertilizers, weed and pest killers, and detergents released into their environment. This is because amphibians breathe and absorb water through their skin providing an easier way for contaminants to enter their bodies.

Homeowners use up to 10 times more chemical pesticides per acre on their lawns than farmers use on crops.

You may not think that you can make a difference, but caring for your lawn in an eco-friendly way can make a bigger impact than you think. Help frogs by following these simple tips:

Choose non-chemical weed control methods like mulching, spading and pulling weeds whenever possible.

Feed your lawn naturally with grass clippings.

Use compost in your garden.

Use organic fertilizer rather than synthetic ones.

Provide good drainage to prevent standing water that attracts pests such as mosquitoes.

Plant native grasses, shrubs and trees which are less susceptible to pests.

Grow natural insect repellents such as lemon balm.

Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

For more information on natural lawn care, visit Safe Lawns.

To find out more about frog conservation, visit our summer exhibit, Leaping to the Rescue, located in the Aquatics Building.

Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project

2009-05-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

A national media rollout for the Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project took place this morning at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo President and CEO, Bob Chastain, attended this exciting event.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a founding member of this exciting project along with nationally recognized partners: Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Zoo New England, Houston Zoo, Africam Safari in Mexico, the Summit Municipal Park in Panama, Defenders of Wildlife and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. The goal of the project is to establish an amphibian conservation center in Panama that will house and facilitate research on 15-20 species that are in jeopardy of being wiped out by the chytrid fungus.

The national announcement can be seen on the Smithonian's website.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo made this announcement locally today and also unveiled a new amphibian exhibit, Leaping to the Rescue, now open in the Aquatics building. This exhibit showcases some of the frogs who are in danger of becoming extinct.

"Leaping to the Rescue"

Tadpoles

Be sure to view the new exhibit in the Aquatics building during regular Zoo hours.

Leaping to the Rescue

2009-05-09T07:36:00.000-07:00

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is responding to the worldwide amphibian crisis by partnering with some renowned national and international conservation leaders to make a difference for frogs that have not yet been killed by a creeping fungus called “chytrid” that is encircling the globe and endangering the existence of amphibians on the planet.

On Monday morning, May 11, at 10:00 am we will be announcing our involvement in a new Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project in the jungles of Panama.

You are invited to attend this critically important announcement on Monday morning at 10 a.m. in the Zoo’s Aquatic’s building to hear more about our involvement in this project.

A national media rollout for the Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project will be taking place simultaneously at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo President and CEO, Bob Chastain, will be in attendance at the national announcement event as the grand initiative is introduced to the nation’s top science writers and media science reporters.

The Zoo will also debut our new frog rescue exhibit called “Leaping to the Rescue” on Monday morning. You’ll find out about the purpose behind the creation of the exhibit and the species of amphibians that the exhibit will feature.

We hope you will join us for this special announcement Monday morning. Until then, click to enjoy “Gump’s” video debut and to learn more about the amphibian crisis on Fox 21’s Morning Show.

Frogs: The Thin Green Line

2009-04-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Boreal Toad – Photo Credit: Joel Sartore

Frogs have been living on this planet for more than 360 million years, and over the centuries, evolved into some of the most wondrous and diverse creatures on earth.

Recent discoveries are startling: more than a third of all amphibians – most of which are frogs and toads – have already been lost, and more are disappearing every day.

A fungus called chytrid has been identified as the major culprit, and so far the spread of the fungus can’t be stopped. Filmmaker Allison Argo discusses these challenges in her film Frogs: The Thin Green Line.

Check your local PBS station for listings. Colorado viewers can see the film on Rocky Mountain PBS/KTSC at 7:00 pm, Sunday April 5.