The mission to save the biggest frog on earth

When Cedrick Fogwan had his archetypal brushwood with the goliath frog helium was impressed by its mighty proportions.

Growing to the size of a cat, it's the world's largest surviving frog.

Almost similar holding a (human) baby, helium says, having handled 1 successful a rescue mission.

The Cameroonian conservationist was truthful captivated helium acceptable up a task to combat for the aboriginal of the endangered species.

"When I recovered this taxon was unsocial - the biggest 1 successful the satellite - I said this is thing that we cannot easy find elsewhere and I was arrogant of it," helium says.

"People successful the country accidental they are blessed to person thing similar that; they connect to it a taste value."

For decades, the goliath frog has been over-hunted for nutrient and the favored commercialized successful Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.

Its situation beside rivers and streams is accelerated being destroyed and the frog is present classified arsenic endangered connected the authoritative extinction Red List.

The frog is little-known to subject and adjacent successful Cameroon galore section radical are unaware of its worth to the ecosystem, specified arsenic preying connected the insects that harm crops.

The conservation squad works to transportation hunters to go national scientists, signaling sightings of the frog alternatively than utilizing it for food.

They are besides moving with section groups to assistance acceptable up snail farming to supply an alternate nutrient source.

The conservation enactment is starting to wage off, with the goliath frog returning to caller rivers successful the Mount Nlonako Reserve.

A telephone from a erstwhile poacher to study a frog had been captured by a neighbour was a turning point. Cedric was capable to rescue the frog and instrumentality it to the wild.

"I judge we tin person it everlastingly and we tin proceed to beryllium arrogant of it," helium says.

The task to prevention the goliath frog is supported by the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) tally by Fauna & Flora International, BirdLife International and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Follow Helen connected Twitter @hbriggs.