Cameroon: World’s Biggest Frog Near Extinction
The population of Goliath frogs in the wild, in Cameroon is decreasing due to accelerated habitat loss occasioned by deforestation, hunting, and over collecting from the wild for pet trade. The most is severe threat to this species is hunting for food, and new sophisticated traps, for catching this species are now being scrupulously used in the Nkongsamba area of Cameroon. These endangered frogs are also been adversely affected by the loss of forest habitat for agriculture, logging, and human settlements.
The Goliath frog is the largest frog in the world. This frog is found only in restricted areas in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. According to IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), Goliath frog is an endangered species because of a 50% decline in population size in the last three generations. Presently, the Goliath frog is teetering at the brink of extinction
Mount Nlonako in Cameroon harbors 93 types of amphibian species, including the Goliath frog. The 93 species constitute 32 percent of the 236 amphibian species recorded in Cameroon. Biologically, Mount Nlonako has been termed as a veritable hotspot of African amphibian diversity. The area is characterized by high amphibian, mammalian and reptilian species richness and therefore ranked amongst the top 10 mountain ecosystem biodiversity hotspots in Africa. Due to lack of employment and livelihood opportunities, locals in and around the Mount Nlonako area are often engaged in hunting and poaching of wildlife.
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