Don't kiss a frog, snap it

2004-10-07 23:13

Craig Elyot and Sharon Hammond

Pretoria, South Africa - Instead of kissing a frog in the hopes of finding a wealthy prince, South Africans are being invited to take a photograph and save them instead.

Members of the public are being urged to participate in South Africa's first national Giant Bullfrog Survey.

Giant Bullfrogs are a near threatened species in southern Africa and the Endangered Wildlife Trust and the University of Pretoria want to establish their distribution area to protect their habitats.

Photos can be taken of any Giant Bullfrogs and must be submitted with an entry form indicating where and when the frog was seen and how many there were.

You might not find a wealthy prince, but there are prizes up for grabs.

Three digital cameras will be awarded for the best photograph, the best runner-up and the most unusual photograph, while two cellphones will be awarded for two "lucky-draw" photos.

There should be a close-up of the side of the bullfrogs so that organisers can distinguish between the two bullfrog species recognised in South Africa.

Survey entry forms can be found at www.giantbullfrog.org, alternatively call Caroline Yetman on [phone] or email [e-mail] for an email or faxed version of the entry form.

Entries can be posted to Bullfrog Survey, CFES, Room 2-1, Geography Building, University of Pretoria, 0002.

- African Eye