The Johannesburg Zoo has joined the international Year of the Frog campaign to highlight the threat of extinction facing these amphibians.

The giant bullfrogs have been listed by the World Conservation Union as Near-Threatened, and could face total extinction if no action is taken to conserve them

LEAP day was celebrated in hopping style when scores of children, aged from three to nine, spent the day at Johannesburg Zoo.

There was fun, laughter, ear-splitting shouts of joy and a whole lot of jumping on the trampoline to the sound of frogs. The zoo used leap day on Friday, 29 February to raise awareness of the plight of endangered amphibians.

Wearing jeans and T-shirts, the children turned the zoo into a sea of rainbow colours. They wrote messages for frogs and learned about the importance of amphibians and their role in protecting biodiversity; biodiversity is the existence of a wide variety of plant and animal species in their natural environments.

They also compared their leaping skills to those of amphibians, by playing with skipping ropes, jumping on the jumping castle and playing other fun games - and, of course, by checking out frogs. "Yoo, this frog is big," said one, after seeing a giant bullfrog.

Under the shade of big trees, near the zoo's bandstand, a bubbly young boy epitomised the happy children. Lesego Mogable, nine, from Katlehong, leapt about, squealing and shouting at the sight of the frogs.

"I love frogs," he grinned, while grabbing a pen and a piece of paper; Lesego stood facing a big bulletin board, covered with froggie messages.

Holding his chin he sunk into deep thought. Then he wrote his message: "Frogs are cool and dump," he laughed and then pledged, "I will help keep your river clean, so you can live safely there."

Another child wrote: "I love you, frog. You are a good frog. You are the best. You can save me everyday."

Year of the Frog
This year was declared the Year of the Frog to raise awareness about the looming extinction of the amphibians, which is thought to be the most perilous since that of the dinosaurs. Johannesburg Zoo has designed programmes to draw attention to the conservation efforts being made to avert the disaster.

Some of the schoolchildren got a chance to touch the giant bullfrog

It will also host a series of workshops throughout the year to raise awareness about the plight of frogs, of which Friday's event was the first.

On the day over 30 delegates from the City's environment department also attended a formal lecture at the Old Elephant House, given by François Durand from the University of Johannesburg.

Durand warned that there was a global decline in the numbers of amphibians, which posed a major threat to ecosystems, or a community of living things and their environment.

In response to a call made by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums to stop the extinction of amphibians, the zoo set up the Joburg Zoo Amphibian Conservation Centre. Through the centre it contributes to conservation efforts; it also takes part in captive breeding programmes of South African endangered animals.

Joburg Zoo helps to conserve and rehabilitate endangered species. The Amphibian Ark, and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and its members all support the global conservation of frogs.

Disease
Amphibian species are severely affected by habitat degradation, climate change and pesticides, leading them to the brink of extinction. Added to these threats is a parasitic fungus called amphibian chytrid, which has fatally infected amphibians across Africa for over 30 years; the current global climate change exacerbates the problem.

Mr. Smarties, a mascot, was on hand to raise awareness of the possible extinction of the amphibian species

According to Amphibian Ark, a campaign supported by the zoo to rescue the most endangered amphibians in the wild, protecting the animals from unprecedented natural and human adversity in South Africa is critical.

The Joburg zoo has joined the global Year of the Frog campaign as a gesture to illustrate that humans are responsible for dramatic changes to nature, because of global warming and habitat degradation.

"People should recognise their responsibility to care for the Earth and leave a healthy environment for our families and future generations," notes Sandra Hlungwani, the zoo's public relations and marketing officer.

Frogs could become extinct if no decisive measures are taken to conserve them, and their extinction can only be stopped if people understand the importance of biodiversity. "For those species that cannot be saved in nature, the plan is to rescue them before they are gone, and to protect them in captive facilities until the threats to the wild populations can be controlled," Hlungwani explains.

Organisations that support Amphibian Ark are leading the global public awareness campaign, 2008: The Year of the Frog, to raise the issue among national governments, the world media, school educators, and the general public.

This year is also a leap year, meaning that there are 366 days in the year instead of the usual 365. An extra day every four years is needed so that the calendar is in alignment with the Earth's movement around the sun.

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