5 Feb, Kanchanpur : Increasing use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has pushed many species of frogs in Nepal towards extinction.
The amphibians otherwise easily found in the fields, ponds, lakes and rivers have become rare. And that has been attributed to the haphazard used of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, says Man Singh Bhandari, who has been involved in the study of frogs. The use of poison to fish in river has also contributed to the extinction of many frog species.
Barking of frogs was a common scene during the rainy reason but that has become rare since the past few years, says local resident Maniram Chaudhary.
Furthermore, smuggling of the rare species of frogs for various purposes is also found to be on the rise. Locals are enticed to catch frogs for a mere two rupee per frog leading to their extinction, says local social worker Tek Bahadur Hamal. Its also due to lack of proper legal measures to protect the vulnerable amphibians and the ignorance on part of the concerned authorities.
Frogs are regarded as environment-friendly because they feed on the insects believed to be harmful to crops.
Hence, all should contribute from their respective side in preserving frogs from extinction, says senior agriculture development officer at the Agriculture Development Office, Kanchanpur Yagya Raj Joshi.
There are reportedly 7,400 species of frogs found in the world. Of them, Nepal is home to 12 species of frogs. Four of the 12 species of frogs found in Nepal are vulnerable to extinction. RSS (Rajendra Paneru)
