Words by Smiley Team
‘Rana cohete resistencia de Intag’ or ‘Intag’s resistance rocket frog’ is a new species of frog that was discovered in Ecuador’s Intag Valley in 2019.
Already, the future of the frog’s existence is under question due to their habitat being on the ground of the Llurimagua mining project.
The name of the frog was chosen by the public via an online poll, and was revealed on 4 May to celebrate International Amphibian Week. The name ‘Rana cohete resistencia de Intag’ won nearly 84% of the votes.
“This little frog’s name is proof that communities in Intag are not ready to give up,” said Linda Valencia, Andean countries coordinator at Re:Wild. “The best chance we have to address the climate crisis, the extinction crisis and to safeguard human health is to protect endangered species and the places they live.”
[Get inspired by reading news on Smiley Movement]
In February 2022, a judge ruled that the Llurimagua mining project could go ahead, saying it did not violate the rights of nature or the rights of local communities.
The legal team representing the local communities requested more information from the judge about the reason for the ruling, but the notion was denied in March.
It is hoped that the name of the frog will convince the Ecuadorian government to recognise the rights of nature and the local communities by cancelling the concession.
Local communities have opposed mining in the area for 27 years, since the mining concessions were granted without prior consultation.
The area could be home to up to 100 species of amphibian, according to Centro Jambatu for Amphibian Research and Conservation. This includes the longnose harlequin toad, which was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 2016. This toad lives nowhere else on earth, making its position very vulnerable.
DONATE: Help the ‘Endangered Ecuador’ campaign – find out more.
