2^nd November, 2025, Munnar: The 2025 edition of the Munnar Frog Assembly was organised under the Amphibian Recovery Project by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), aiming to conserve Munnar’s endemic frogs. The two-day event, held at the Nature Education Centre in Eravikulum National Park, brought together over 25 students and researchers from Kerala and neighbouring states.

Mr. Harikrishnan KV, Wildlife Warden, Wildlife Division, Munnar, chaired the event | Photo by Madhumay Mallik/WTI

Mr. Harikrishnan KV, the Wildlife Warden of Munnar, chaired the event. Dr. Jomy Augustine and Dr. Sujith V. Gopalam lead lectures on the biodiversity of the Western Ghats, focusing on the Munnar landscape and its frog species. Field sessions were conducted in identified frog habitats around the shola patches alongside the tea estates of Kanan Devan Hill Plantations. The participants had the opportunity to observe the behaviour of several key species, including the Anamalai Gliding Frog, Beddome’s Bush Frog and Meowing Night Frog. Dr. Jomy’s special session on the “Endemic balsams of Anamalai Hill Ranges” also highlighted the specific microclimates that several species of flora and fauna depend on and the urgent need to engage in their protection.

The sessions covered topics such as the biodiversity of the Western Ghats, frog species of Munnar and identifying frog habitats.  | Photo by Madhumay Mallik/WTI

Dr. Harikrishnan S, the project lead of the  Amphibian Recovery Project, provided an overview of  the project and highlighted the importance of conserving the habitat for amphibian species. An exercise on frog identification was also conducted, where participants learned key taxonomic and behavioural features to identify different species groups. “The Frog Assembly was a way to spread the message of amphibian conservation among students. The response has been quite encouraging over the past years, and this workshop serves as an integral part of the project’s citizen science component. These students and researchers will help form a network that goes on to further help the cause of amphibian conservation across the Western Ghats”, quoted Dr. Harikrishnan.

WTI’s Amphibian Recovery Project was launched in 2023 to protect and recover threatened amphibians in this landscape, focusing on five key species that are endemic to the area. The project is supported by Synchronicity Earth and the Kanan Devan Hill Plantations.