Mantella aurantiaca habitat destroyed

[stemcellular]

Just damn horrible.

Catskillet - An Obituary

[Paul G]

Not that I'm surprised but I feel sick after reading that.

[stemcellular]

What's even more disturbing is that other fragmented habitat went up in smoke, literally, in 2001, according to the IUCN.

[Baltimore Bryan]

That it really awful. It's a shame that some of these most incredible animals come from regions where people have so many problems and just don't care.
Bryan

[sports_doc]

Just wonderful.....

Good thing no one 'smuggled' the last remaining frogs from their wild habitat.....right b/f the interminable march of human 'progress' wiped it out....

The human race makes me sick

S

[mantisdragon91]

Sounds like as good an argument as I have ever seen for allowing more not less imports out of Madagascar. The Gottleibi are limited to 400 this year. How many do you think the toxic runoff from the Chinese zinc mines will kill?

[Woodsman]

We are NOT going to prevent the extinction of any animals by keeping them in our basements. This is a selfish and scientifically-misguided notion. Conservation efforts CAN include carefully planned captive breeding, but habitat protection is the only long-term goal for most working in the conservation movement.

If there aren't already ways to become more involved in land conservation in Madagascar, perhaps we should be the ones to start the discussion.

Richard.

[SavannaZilla]

That is so depressing.

[stemcellular]

Originally Posted by Woodsman

We are NOT going to prevent the extinction of any animals by keeping them in our basements. This is a selfish and scientifically-misguided notion. Conservation efforts CAN include carefully planned captive breeding, but habitat protection is the only long-term goal for most working in the conservation movement.

If there aren't already ways to become more involved in land conservation in Madagascar, perhaps we should be the ones to start the discussion.

Richard.

I've been working with Devin and Matt M. to sponsor an auction and/or fundraiser to benefit amphibian conservation in Madagascar, specifically, Devin's project there. I'd strongly encourage you to attend, donate and participate.

[mantisdragon91]

Originally Posted by Woodsman

We are NOT going to prevent the extinction of any animals by keeping them in our basements. This is a selfish and scientifically-misguided notion. Conservation efforts CAN include carefully planned captive breeding, but habitat protection is the only long-term goal for most working in the conservation movement.

If there aren't already ways to become more involved in land conservation in Madagascar, perhaps we should be the ones to start the discussion.

Richard.

How do you do land conservation in a country where the government will turn around and sell a protected preserve to the highest bidder? Under the current government in Madagascar and based on the current population poverty and demographics there is almost no way to preserve and protect habitat except at gunpoint. The best we can do is preserve populations in captivity in the hopes that in a few generations the income level and environmental awareness in Madagascar goes up enough to allow the reclamaition of habitat and establishment of reserves where species preserved in captivity can be reintroduced into.

Is it a bleak assesment... absolutely but I suspect it is also the grim reality despite what people wearing rosy colored glasses care to tell us. I would challenge everyone on this forum to attempt to work with at least one Malagasy species with the goal of breeding and cooperating with other breeders to establish long term viable populations. At this point short of killing of or sterilizing 80 plus percent of the population on the island ( and no im not advocating that, tempting as it may be) that is all we can do to help preserve some of the islands amazing fauna(90 percent plus of which is found nowhere else).