Biodiversity in Colombia

Right now, Colombia is a hotspot for biodiversity, and one of the most species rich countries in the world, but that may soon change: a wave of extinction is rolling over the country! ​

Meet Gustavo Gonzales-Duran, the chief herpetologist of the species monitoring project in Colombia’s national parks. Growing up, his passion for animals was focused on snakes. However, living in Colombia, he quickly learned that there were other little creatures wandering the forest floors of his country that need his attention even more: the slowly decreasing population of amphibians. Of the more than 800 species of frogs, toads, and salamanders in Colombia, over 250 are considered endangered! ​

With this monitoring program, Gustavo and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) hope to counteract species extinction starting with five of the most biodiverse national parks in Colombia. The program aims to monitor certain endangered species in order to identify and protect as many species as possible. ​

The project's goal is to conserve threatened species 'in-situ' - in their natural habitat. For some species, however, it is necessary to establish reserve populations in human captivity. The Calí Zoo is responsible for breeding particularly endangered species and implementing this so-called 'ex-situ' phase of the project. ​

Over the span of multiple years, Gustavo and his colleagues walk select trails at regular intervals, recording the habitats and population development of designated amphibians along the way. Unfortunately, they are in a race against time to preserve as many species as possible. ​

One natural development Gustavo and his colleagues are especially worried about is the rapidly spreading Chytrid fungus, or Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). It grows on the skin of amphibians, it has already destroyed abundant species worldwide. ​

The Chytrid Fungus prefers temperatures between 17-25 degrees celcius. It’s particularly vicious in areas where amphibians are already suffering from environmental stress, so Colombian mountain ranges are an ideal place for it to spread. To prepare for a possibly catastrophic outbreak, Gustavo and his team take skin samples from the frogs they encounter and test them for the fungus. ​

Another danger Gustavo worries about is the political unrest in his country. In 2016, after decades of conflict, the left-wing guerilla group FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) signed a peace agreement with the government. While this helped calm the political situation, it had grave consequences for the environment – both positive and negative. ​

On one hand, the areas previously occupied by the FARC were suddenly free for scientific research. On the other hand, clearing the land also made room for industries such as logging, cattle grazing, and gold mining – practices that harm the environment and damage many species’ natural habitat. In short: the incredible biodiversity in these areas can now be more easily studied, but also more easily destroyed by humans. ​