Newly found rocket frog at risk from gold miners
Published March 20, 2024.
In late 2024, the Khamai Foundation faced an unusual challenge after applying for a rainforest protection grant.
To secure funding to save a 78-hectare rainforest from an open-pit gold mine, the NGO needed proof of an endangered, endemic species.
A Spotted Rocket Frog (Hyloxalus maculosus) from a newly discovered population at risk from gold mining. Found by Doménica Gómez and photographed by Phillip Hong-Barco.
Close-up of the same individual. Photo by Sam Schenker.
With miners making offers on the land, Khamai had less than three months to find one—but no budget for an expedition. Their solution? A BioBlitz, bringing in conservationists who could both participate and help fund the search.
By early 2025, Phillip Hong-Barco, Sam Schenker, and Michael Meyer joined the effort, later reinforced by Chloe Evans (Wilde Tracks) and Jessica Mousley (African Safari Conservation). Their work led to a breakthrough: the discovery of the Spotted Rocket Frog (Hyloxalus maculosus), an Endangered species previously known from fewer than ten locations, all outside protected areas.
The rocket frog population was found in caves and rainforest creeks rich in gold which are currently being targeted by illegal miners. Photo by David Jácome.
Biologist Alejandro Arteaga examines an individual of the newly discovered rocket frog population alongside Chloe Evans (Wilde Tracks) and Jessica Mousley (African Safari Conservation). Photo by David Jácome.
Rocket frog experts argued it should be classified as Critically Endangered due to its tiny range and ongoing habitat loss. Finding it near Pitalala Reserve presents a rare opportunity to protect it—possibly saving it from extinction.
The evidence was submitted to the funding agency, but Khamai has yet to receive a response. Meanwhile, the risk of the land being sold to miners grows daily.
Please help the fundraiser of the Pitalala Reserve reach the amount needed for a down payment to secure the rocket frog’s habitat before it’s too late.
Aerial image showing an illegal gold mine along the Chumbiyacu stream, previous habitat of the Spotted Rocket Frog. Photo by David Jácome.
Map showing the distribution of the newly discovered rocket frog population and the location of neighboring illegal gold mines.
