AMPHIBIAN RECOVERY PROJECT

Amphibians are the most threatened group of vertebrates globally, with over 40% of known species in decline. India is home to more than 450 species of amphibians, of which 136 are listed as Threatened by the IUCN, and another 96 are Data Deficient. Despite this, focused efforts to conserve Indian amphibians are few and far between.

The Munnar landscape in the Western Ghats of Kerala is both a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) and an Alliance for Zero Extinction site, meaning it is a critical region for conservation of unique and endangered species, including frogs. Out of the approximately 45 species known from this landscape – a number that keeps going up every year – 41 are endemic to the southern Western Ghats. This amphibian diversity is not limited to the Protected Areas of Munnar, but is spread across the vast matrix of forest fragments, plantations of tea, cardamom, and other crops.

Kadalar swamp tree frog (Beddomixalus bijui) | Photograph by Abhijith Vijay/WTI

The urgency of conservation

Habitat loss is the leading cause of amphibian declines around the world, and Munnar is no exception. Prior to the establishment of plantations in the late 19^th century, the landscape consisted of vast tracts of mid and high elevation wet evergreen forests, criss-crossed with streams, swamps, and grasslands. Today, outside of the Protected Areas (PAs), these original habitats survive as isolated fragments. Even these remnant habitats host an impressive biodiversity, but threats such as unregulated infrastructure development, road expansion, poor waste management, and invasive species continue to pressure local frog populations.

Worryingly, none of the endemic species from Munnar are currently listed under India’s Wildlife Protection Act, leaving them vulnerable especially outside the PAs. Given that over 30% of our amphibians are Threatened, urgent and focused conservation action is essential.

What do we do?

Under WTI’s ‘Big Idea’ of ‘Species Recovery’, the Amphibian Recovery Project was launched to protect and recover threatened amphibians in this landscape. There are currently 15 Endangered and 10 Vulnerable frog species in the Munnar landscape. The project aims to halt and reverse the decline of these species through targeted research, habitat protection and restoration, disease monitoring, stakeholder partnerships, training and awareness building.

Resplendent Grass Frog (Raorchestes resplendens) in Munnar | Photograph by Sreenanth K/WTI

Keeping in mind the long-term goals of the project, we have partnered with key stakeholders in the Munnar region:

Windermere Estates and Blackberry Hills Estate collaborate with us to protect and restore amphibian breeding habitats within their properties.
A formal MoU with KDHP (Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company Pvt. Ltd.), the largest private landholder in the region, has enabled amphibian conservation in their 16857 ha of land.
We also have an MoU with the Anamudi Forest Development Agency – Munnar Wildlife Division, Kerala Forests and Wildlife Department, to extend our amphibian conservation work into the six PAs in Munnar.

Since 2021, we have collected baseline data on distribution of threatened species, abundance, and threats across the landscape. We also identified and monitor several key breeding habitats for threatened species. In collaboration with LACONES-CCMB, Hyderabad, we have also been conducting monitoring for diseases like Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a deadly fungus that is responsible for amphibian extinctions in many parts of the world. Additionally, we work with local stakeholders to promote Frog-Friendly plantation practices. We have also established a long-term field station in Munnar to facilitate conservation work in the landscape.

Key species that we focus on:

Scientific Name	Common Name	IUCN Red List Status
Beddomixalus bijui	Kadalar Swamp Tree Frog	Endangered B1ab(iii)
Raorchestes resplendens	Resplendent Grass Frog	Endangered B1ab(iii)
Nyctibatrachus deccanensis	Shola Night Frog	Endangered B1ab(iii)
Rhacophorus pseudomalabaricus	Anamalai Gliding Frog	Vulnerable B1ab(iii)
Nyctibatrachus poocha	Meowing Night Frog	Near Threatened

To achieve long-term and sustainable action towards conserving the amphibians in India, there is a need for better-trained individuals who can use their expertise to further the conservation of amphibians in India. WTI plans to develop a Conservation Hub in the Munnar landscape, to further the amphibian conservation initiatives, along with showcasing other wildlife conservation projects in the landscape where Wildlife Science graduates trained well in amphibian ecology, monitoring and understanding of emergent diseases can build capacity in planning and executing conservation action projects.

PARTNERS: Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company Pvt. Ltd (KDHP), Synchronicity Earth, and Kerala Forest & Wildlife Department.

PROJECT LEAD: Dr. Harikrishnan S