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Das Schweigen der Frösche (The Silence of the Frogs)
Special exhibition on the global amphibian crisis in Wilhelma - Zoologisch-botanischer Garten Stuttgart, 25 June - 14 September 2008
Amphibians, including caecilians, frogs, toads, fire-bellied toads and salamanders, have inhabited our planet for more than 350 million years: In the past they were the rulers of the earth, they saw the dinosaurs come and go, survived several mass-extinctions and found a solution for each challenge that evolution created for them. Everything went smoothly, untill humans showed up...
In the past 30 years, at least 30 amphibian species have died out, 1/3 of the more than 6000 amphibian species are now threatened with extinction! This is however not publicly known, therefore the year 2008 was designated as "Year of the Frog". The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria dedicated this year's annual campaign to frogs and Wilhelma decided to organise a special exhibition on the worldwide disappearance of amphibians.
The special exhibition enables the visitors to get acquainted with amphibians and their special way of life in the water as well as on land, and it explains the resons for the decline and possible conservation actions. Insight in frog research is part of the exhibition, as well as a frogpond, a educational programme for children and a terrarium for large toads. Amphibian already had their own place in the Wilhelma terrarium - especially the brightly coloured frogs are the visitor's favourites. Therefore the frogs will represent their wormlike and less brightly coloured amphibian colleagues and advertise the need for action to prevent the extinction of countless amphibian species. The money that is collected with this special exhibition, will go directly into the EAZA Amphibian Conservation Fund, which will be used to fund in situ and ex situ projects to save amphibians.
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