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CLASSIFIED Monday 27 May 2019
Colombian breeds rare frogs to HEALTH

undermine animal traffickers DOCTOR ON DUTY

By MANUEL RUEDA Oranjestad
CESAR GARCIA Hospital 7:00 pm / 10:00pm
Associated Press Tel. 527 4000
CUNDINAMARCA, Co- San Nicolas
lombia (AP) — In a small IMSAN 24 Hours
farmhouse surrounded by Tel.524 8833
cloud forest, Iván Lozano Women in Difficulties
inspects dozens of glass PHARMACY ON DUTY
containers that hold some
of the world’s most cov- Oranjestad:
Sta. Anna Tel. 586 8181
eted frogs. San Nicolas:
The conservationist has San Nicolas Tel. 584 5712
been fighting the illegal Women in Difficulties
trade in rare tropical frogs OTHER
for years, risking his life and Dental Clinic 587 9850
his checkbook to save the Oophaga histrionica red head frogs stand inside the glass Blood Bank Aruba 587 0002
brightly colored, poisonous container where they are bred at the “Tesoros de Colombia” Urgent Care 586 0448
amphibians whose popu- frog breeding center in Cundinamarca, Colombia, Tuesday, Walk-In Doctor’s Clinic
+297 588 0539
lation in the wild is dwin- April 23, 2019. Women in Difficulties
dling. Associated Press EMERGENCY
But Lozano doesn’t hunt species have dropped “We make ourselves sus-
down poachers and smug- significantly. The price tainable by moving on to Police 100
527 3140
Oranjestad
glers. He’s trying to under- tag on the Harlequin Frog new species,” said Lozano, Noord 527 3200
mine them by breeding ex- dropped by 50 percent, who already has permits to Sta. Cruz 527 2900
otic frogs legally and selling he said. The Golden Dart export seven species, in- San Nicolas 584 5000
them at lower prices than Frog, another much-sought cluding the Red Lehmanni, Police Tipline 11141
specimens plucked by traf- species, went from around a frog so rare collectors re- Ambulancia 911
fickers from Colombia’s $150 a few years ago to fer to it as “the Holy Grail.” Fire Dept. 115
582 2219
Red Cross
jungles. His frog-breeding $30. Lozano is currently seeking
center Tesoros de Colom- “We want prices to go permission from Colom- TAXI SERVICES
bia, which translates to down so much that it’s no bia’s government to export Taxi Tas 587 5900
Treasures of Colombia, is longer profitable for traf- another 13 species that are Prof. Taxi 588 0035
among a handful of con- fickers to sell these frogs,” under pressure from animal Taxi D.T.S. 587 2300
servation programs around Lozano explained. traffickers. Indonesia allows Taxi Serv. Aruba 583 3232
the world that are trying He said his company also the export of 3 million cap- A1 Taxi Serv. 280 2828
to curtail the trafficking of helps collectors breed their tive-bred Tokay Geckos to Women in Difficulties
wild animals by providing own frogs, so they can global pet markets each TRAVEL INFO
enthusiasts with a more flood the market with legal- year. But weak regulation Aruba Airport 524 2424
eco-friendly alternative: ly raised specimens, taking has given corrupt compa- American Airlines 582 2700
specimens bred in captiv- pressure off those living in nies the opportunity to sell Avianca 588 0059
ity. “We can’t control the the wild. The frogs raised in off wild Geckos as Geckos Jet Blue 588 2244
fact that in some coun- captivity by Lozano are no bred in captivity, said Chris Surinam 582 7896
tries it is legal to own these longer poisonous, because Shepherd a conservationist
animals,” Lozano said. “But they have a different diet who worked in South East Women in Difficulties
we want to make sure that than wild specimens. But Asia for two decades with CRUISES
collectors buy animals that collectors still seek them for TRAFFIC, an environmental
are raised in captivity and their brilliant color patterns. group.q
are legally exported.”
Lozano’s efforts to replace
illegally captured poison
dart frogs have made him May 29
Monarch
well known among collec- Carnival Magic
tors in the United States,
who are increasingly seek- Women in Difficulties
ing legally traded speci- AID FOUNDATIONS
mens. FAVI- Visually Impaired
“Before there was no way Tel. 582 5051
you could get a histrionica Alcoholics Anonymous
legally,” said Julio Rodrí- Tel. 736 2952
guez, an experienced New Narcotics Anonymous
York City collector, refer- Tel. 583 8989
ring to the Harlequin Poison Women in Difficulties
Frog by its scientific name. Tel. 583 5400
“If you saw one in a col- Centre for Diabetes
lection, it most likely came Tel. 524 8888
from the black market.” Child Abuse Prevention
Tel. 582 4433
Rodríguez said that since
Tesoros de Colombia be- Quota Club Tel. 525 2672
Women in Difficulties
gan exporting frogs to the General Info
United States six years ago
prices for some coveted Phone Directory Tel. 118