Partners

Africam Safari is a private zoo based in Puebla, Mexico. Their staff lead several amphibian conservation efforts in Mexico, such as a captive breeding program and habitat recovery for the large-crested toad Incillus cristatus. Africam has also leads the Amphibian Commission of the Mexican Zoos and Aquariums Association and in the 2006 organized along with Amphibian Ark the first Amphibian Biology and Management Course held in Latin-America. The Zoo also heads the IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) for Mexico. These activities, in addition to their financial and logistic contributions to this project make them one of the leading amphibian conservation organizations in Latin America.

ANAM (Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente) is the Panamanian government agency charged with protecting its biodiversity. ANAM is currently drafting an amphibian conservation action plan for Panama, and are full financial and logistical partners supporting our efforts to save Panama’s incredible amphibian Biodiversity. In addition to providing funding and permits, ANAM provides logistical support in the field and in helping to coordinate our activities to compliment the larger amphibian conservation initiative that they are spearheading in Panama.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a midsize zoo based in Colorado that has been helping endangered amphibians for many years.  They participate in a breeding program for Wyoming toads that are extinct in the wild due to amphibian chytrid fungus. Their leadership has been instrumental to launching this project and their enthusiastic staff assists with the volunteer program, development of education programs and the veterinary program in Panama.  Their involvement is crucial to build the local capacity in Panama needed to develop long-term  security for  Panama’s biodiversity.

Defenders of Wildlife is one of the world’s leaders in science-based, results-oriented wildlife conservation. Their tireless advocacy for the protection of endangered species is reflected in their actions as they have stepped forward to help save the last remaining amphibians that have not yet been ravaged by deadly amphibian Chytrid disease. In addition to their direct participation in the project, they have pledged to use their resources and networks to help mobilize public and political support for amphibian conservation.

Houston Zoo has a long history of amphibian conservation in Panama and founded the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC) in central Panama. They rescued several species of amphibians from Western Panama that have now probably been wiped out by Chytrid fungus. Their leadership and swift reaction helped draw global attention to the problem, and this project will build on their initial efforts. With help from their in-country experts and experience we will conduct rescue operations to avert the extinctions of up to 25 species of amphibians at risk in Eastern Panama. Houston Zoo continues to develop sound animal husbandry species for many of these animals that have never been held in captivity before.

Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park – The National Zoological Park is coordinating and leading this partnership. In addition to the Eastern Panama rescue effort, they are active participants in Project Golden Frog and house a large proportion of the world’s surviving population of Panamanian Golden Frogs in the Reptile Discovery Center, and in the US they are working to conserve Appalachian salamanders. They will be coordinating closely with researchers at  James Madison and Vanderbilt Universities to try and develop a cure to the amphibian Chytrid disease that may one day allow us to reintroduce amphibians that have gone exinct due to Bd into the wild.

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute - STRI, headquartered in Panama City, Panama, is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The institute furthers the understanding of tropical nature and its importance to human welfare, trains students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. STRI will assume the lead on coordinating in-country volunteers and provide in-country scientific oversight to this program.

The Summit Municipal Park is Panama-City’s only public Zoological Park and Botanical Gardens. They provide a home for the Amphibian Rescue Center which is being be expanded to house threatened amphibians from Eastern Panama. In addition to housing and caring for the amphibians, they have an excellent public amphibian conservation exhibit and outreach program reaching over 100,000 Panamanian visitors (5% of Panama’s population) each year.

Zoo New England provides all aspects of veterinary oversight for this project.  This includes leadership in developing of protocols for quarantine, biosecurity, treatment of chytridiomycosis, treatment of common ailments and nutrition that might affect the captive collection.  Zoo New England will also take responsibility for training interested veterinarians from partner institutions, as well as Summit Municipal Park’s resident veterinarian, in principles of amphibian medicine.