Transcript MillerStLouis

SAINT LOUIS ZOO
WILDCARE INSTITUTE
AND AMPHIBIAN CONSERVATION:
ONE MODEL
R. Eric Miller, DVM, Dipl. ACZM
Director
DRAMATIC INCREASE IN
THE LOSS OF SPECIES
GOING, GOING……GONE
AMPHIBIANS – A WHOLE
TAXA AT RISK
HOW TO MAKE AN EFFECTIVE
CONTRIBUTION FOR AMPHIBIAN
CONSERVATION?
VISIT TO ZOO ATLANTA IN
FALL 2005
THANKS TO DR. JOE
MENDELSON
BALSA DE LOS SAPOS
PROGRAM
• DR. LUIS COLOMA
• CATOLICA UNIVERSITY (PUCE) IN
QUITO, ECUADOR
ECUADORIAN AMPHIBIANS
• 441 SPECIES IDENTIFED TO DATE (#3
IN DIVERSITY)
• 40% ENDEMIC
• 2 SPECIES PRESUMED EXTINCT, 139
AT EXTINCTION RISK
AMPHIBIAN THREATS IN
ECUADOR?
• EMERGING DISEASES
• HABITAT DEGRADATION AND
FRACTIONATION
• CLIMATE CHANGE
ANDEAN SPECIES ARE MOST
RISK
• CLIMATE CHANGE:
• .5OC WARMER IS WORLDWIDE
AVERAGE
• ANDES ARE 2OC
WARMER
BALSA DE LOS SAPOS
• STRENGTHEN ECUADORIAN
CAPACITY
• FIELD RESEARCH
• EX SITU
CONSERVATION
PILOT CENTER –
2 YEAR PROJECT
10 SPECIES
$54,000 FROM CATOLICA UNIVERSITY
$50,000 FROM SAINT LOUIS ZOO
BASO DE LOS SAPOS – 6
YEAR PLAN
$20,000,000 US
SAPARI: ADVENTURA EN UN
MUNDO DE SAPOS
105,000 VISITORS IN 90 DAYS
TRAVEL TO US/EUROPE?
CATOLICA/WILDCARE
PARTNERSHIP
• PRE-EXISTING RELATIONSHIP WITH CATOLICA IN
THE GALAPAGOS
• “SEED” MONEY FOR FUTURE PLANS
CATOLICA/WILDCARE
PARTNERSHIP (CONT.)
• COST EFFECTIVE CONSERVATION
– ALSO LABOR EFFECTIVE FOR US
• ECUADOR DOES NOT
ALLOW EXPORT OF
ANIMALS, SO MUST
BE IN COUNTRY
– NOT ABOUT ACQUISTION BY ZOOS!
PHOTO CREDITS
THANK YOU TO DR. COLOMA
www.puce.edu.ec/zoologia/balsasapos
THE END