The ten poisonous harlequin frogs of the species Oophaga solanensis that were seized last week by the Valle del Cauca Corporation, CVC, were released in the territory of Litoral del San Juan, from where they had been illegally extracted.
This was possible due to an articulated work between environmental authorities of Valle and Chocó, and local communities, such as community councils.
During the management, a thousand fingerlings also returned to their natural habitat.
The species were going to be commercialized in Cali.
David Otero Rodríguez, a CVC official, said that “we decided that the most pertinent thing was to reintroduce the animals into their natural habitat.”
Rodríguez stated that “obtaining information from the person who claimed to be the holder of these, we realized that the individuals came from the San Juan coast, in the jurisdiction of Chocó.”
Education
Both institutions have been carrying out pertinent actions so that the communities understand the importance of keeping these species in their places of origin.
According to Juan Carlos Mena, a Codechocó official, “they are raising awareness about the importance of not removing wildlife specimens from their natural site, specifically those that are in a degree of vulnerability, since they suffer alterations due to the excessive manipulation, which is also a crime.”
Thanks to the articulated work, a quick action was taken that allowed the protection of amphibians and confiscated fish. It is worth noting that each species has an important function in the ecosystem and must be conserved in their natural distribution areas.