KOCHI: About 42 per cent of the frog species in the world are now on the verge of extinction, said Dr S D Biju, known as Frogman of India. He was addressing the meet-the-press programme organised by the Ernakulam Press Club on Tuesday.
Citing the statistics published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Biju, who is also a professor at the University of Delhi’s Department of Environmental Studies, said that 99 per cent of frogs become extinct due to habitat loss, and 31 per cent due to climate change.
“In 100 years, at least half of the frogs will not be seen. Frog conservation should be prioritised. While we say 42 per cent of frog species are on the verge of extinction, it is 26.5 per cent for mammals, 21.4 per cent for reptiles and 12.9 per cent for birds. Hence, conservation should be given the right prioritisation,” Biju said.
As many as 14 frog species are critically endangered, while 74 are endangered and 49 are vulnerable.
Notably, of the 74 endangered species, 46 are in Kerala suggesting that proper policy is the need of the hour.
“The issue cannot be solved by merely setting up a sanctuary for frogs. A policy should be brought up prioritising conservation activities,” he said.