Giant frogs are in danger of extinction

Seeing the Goliath frog for the first time, Cameroonian conservationist Cedrick Fogwan was impressed with its massive size.

It was a large frog about the size of a domestic cat. This is also a giant frog that still exists in the world. During a rescue mission, conservationist Cedrick described holding the frog in his lap as if he were holding a newborn baby.

In order to fight for the future of the endangered species, Cedrick has set up a project to rescue. The project is jointly run by the World Fauna Foundation (FFI), the international bird conservation organization and the wildlife conservation association (WCS).

“When I realize that they are the most unique species in the world that cannot be easily found elsewhere, I feel proud of that. Locals also say that they are lucky to have this creature living in the area and consider it here. is cultural value,” said the Cameroonian conservationist.

It is known that the Goliath frog is the largest frog species today. Adults can be 33cm long and weigh up to 3kg. They live in the sub-equatorial forests of West Africa – home to fast-flowing rivers and tropical jungles.

However, their actual range only starts from the last 200km of the Sanaga River Basin in Cameroon to the north to the last 50km of the Benito River Basin in Equatorial Guinea to the south. River systems with clear, oxygen-rich water are their favorable habitats, especially where temperatures are relatively high and extremely humid.

Their weight depends on the habitat. Goliath frogs are not suitable for captivity even with a regular but controlled diet like a zoo.

This animal has the ability to swim fast and jump very far, even mice are difficult to “escape”, but their favorite food is still insects, shrimp, small snakes or small fish. Although they have good hearing, they cannot cry because of the lack of laryngeal sacs.

Hunted for “too good” meat

This frog species can only exist in the natural environment, not artificially. For decades, they have been overhunted for food and traded as pets in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.

In addition, their habitat, which was originally near rivers and streams, is now shrinking. Currently, they are officially listed as endangered in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

However, Goliath frog is still “hunted” by many diners because of its special taste. According to the description, their meat is white, delicious in taste. Today, Goliath frogs cannot be easily purchased due to increasingly limited numbers.

In fact, frogs are considered to be foods that appear a lot in African cuisine. In Namibia, locals for many generations still love a giant frog called “omafuma” and make it a famous specialty. The Nsenga people in the eastern Luangwa valley or people in eastern Zambia are also very fond of dishes made from frog meat.