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- EAZA Year of the Frog Campaign 2007/8


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    'Save the Frogs' - Amphibian Campaign relaunched by Munster Zoo
    Munster Zoo was one of the first zoos to start activities for the EAZA Year of the Frog Campaign 2007/8 (see EAZA News 61). Since September 2007, each opportunity, such as the 'family days', has been used to raise awareness among the visitors with the slogan 'Kiss a Frog' and respective means of promotion. But also outside the zoo the issue has been presented, e.g. with information stands and activities in the cinema on Valentine's Day and posters and postcards at many locations in the city.

    Nevertheless, after more than six months, zoo director Jorg Adler decided to place more emphasis on the drama of the amphibian crisis instead of only using the nice association with fairy tales and the princess kissing the frog. He contracted a well-known advertising agency in Munster to create a new appearance for the campaign and inspired several personalities to support it. This resulted in the relaunch of the campaign with three computer generated frogs in anthropomorphic postures which embody illness and despair, accompanied by the new slogan "Rettet die Frösche" (Save the Frogs). A new website (www.rettetdiefroesche.de),
    6-pages information flyers as well as DIN A1 posters and advertisements have been produced and a direct mailing campaign to a large list of potential donors was run (resulting donations outstanding). But also the zoo changed its appearance: A new 'frog habitat' at the entrance of the zoo now welcomes the visitors, animates children to hop like a frog and invites them to take a photo with one of the two large frogs which point towards a large education panel about the amphibian crisis and the campaign.


    Besides the necessary background information for the older visitors, a comic illustrates this subject to the children. The big presentation screen welcoming the visitors with animated zoo animals has also been extended with a 'Save the Frogs' sequence. Into the exhibition area of the BioCity the campaign has found its way too. A large display cabinet illustrates the 'natural diversity' of native amphibians opposite to 'human diversity', i.e. destruction of natural habitats and extinction of species. A supplemental PowerPoint presentation about the diversity and importance of amphibians completes the range of improvements in the entrance area and the BioCity. But also part of the aquarium has been given a new look: the stairway in the house has been painted with an illustration of the amphibian metamorphosis from eggs via tadpoles to frogs - accompanied by the campaign posters, of course!