Bid to find a Valentine for Romeo, world’s ‘loneliest frog’
COCHABAMBA, Bolivia: With Valentine’s Day approaching, please spare a thought for Romeo the lonesome Bolivian frog.
Ten years a bachelor, the childless amphibian has had to enlist human help to mount a last-ditch search for a Juliet which, if it fails, could mean the end of his species.
Romeo, you see, is the last known frog of his kind.
And he has been fruitlessly calling for a mate from his tank at the Cochabamba Natural History Museum for years.
“We don’t want him to lose hope,” said Arturo Munoz, a conservation scientist associated with the Global Wildlife Conservation, which has hooked up with website Match to raise money for Romeo’s last shot at romance.
The funds will be used to scour Bolivian streams and rivers for signs of a female Sehuencas water frog, even in tadpole form.
“We continue to remain hopeful that others are out there so we can establish a conservation breeding programme to save this species,” said Munoz.
If Romeo croaks, he could follow the route of “Lonesome George”, a childless Galapagos tortoise who died in 2012, taking his entire subspecies with him.
Sehuencas water about 15 years.
As part of the campaign to raise $15,000 (12,200 euros) by Valentine’s Day, the team has created a Match profile for Romeo. frogs live for
He is introduced by which he shows off a swimming moves.
“Hi there. I’m Romeo, a Sehuencas water frog from Bolivia,” says a Spanish-accented voice.
“I’m a pretty simple guy. I also love eating. then again, who doesn’t?”
His mobile phone profile, also shown in the video. Romeo’s relationship status is listed as: “Never married”. Has kids? “No.”
“I bet you’re wondering what is a frog like me doing in a place like this?” a video variety in of the announcement continues.
“Well, I’m here to find my match, just like you. Except, my situation is a bit more... urgent.”
When Romeo was collected 10 years ago, said Munoz, “we knew the Sehuencas water frog, like other amphibians in Bolivia, was in trouble, but we had no idea we wouldn’t be able to find a single other individual in all this time. Compared to other frogs in the genus, Munoz said, Romeo has taught biologists much about his species.