Hidden deep in the rainforests of southern Chile, a tiny amphibian with an extraordinary survival strategy is fighting for its future. The Darwin’s frog is one of the few species in the world where males care for their young inside their vocal sacs, protecting them until they emerge as fully formed froglets. But today, these frogs face an urgent crisis. Their populations are plummeting due to chytrid fungus, a devastating amphibian disease, and widespread habitat destruction. Without intervention, Darwin’s frogs could disappear forever…this is the story of that high stakes rescue mission!
Benjamin Tapley is the Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), where he works to conserve some of the world’s most threatened herpetofauna. A passionate conservation biologist and herpetologist, Ben specialises in ex-situ management, extinction risk assessment, and conservation prioritisation with much of his work focussed on Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species.
