NGO Ranita de Darwin presents its work at the Chilean Embassy in the United Kingdom

NGO Ranita de Darwin participated in a very special event organized by the Chilean Embassy in the United Kingdom , in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) . The event brought international attention to Darwin's Frog , an emblematic Chilean amphibian currently facing critical threats in its natural habitat.

An event to raise awareness of amphibian conservation

At the reception, the Chilean Ambassador to the United Kingdom, HE Ximena Fuentes , together with Catalina Herrera , Head of Culture and Press at the Embassy, welcomed Prof. Andrew Cunningham (Professor of Wildlife Epidemiology and Deputy Director of Science at the Institute of Zoology, ZSL); Andrés Valenzuela (Research Fellow in Wildlife Health at ZSL, Deputy Director of the MSc Wild Animal Biology/Wild Animal Health at the Royal Veterinary College-ZSL and President of the NGO Ranita de Darwin); Soledad Delgado (Outreach Officer and Coordinator of the NGO Ranita de Darwin); Daniel Kane (Senior Keeper of Amphibians and Reptiles at ZSL) and Rebecca Blanchard (Media Manager at ZSL). All of them are allies actively working to prevent the extinction of this unique species.

At this event, Andrés Valenzuela presented the Darwin's Frog rescue project in Tantauco Park and outlined the work the NGO Ranita de Darwin is doing in amphibian conservation in Chile. It was a key opportunity to share experiences, join forces, and strengthen our collective commitment to Chilean biodiversity.

Screening of “A Leap of Hope”

During the event, the short documentary “A Leap of Hope” was presented, which tells the story of the urgent rescue of Darwin's Frogs from Tantauco Park , in southern Chile, carried out in October 2024 after the devastating spread of the chytrid fungus.

In just one year, this disease—lethal to Darwin's frogs—caused a population decline of more than 90% in Tantauco, prompting us to act quickly with international partners to protect these specimens and ensure their safe survival.

The documentary is now available on our YouTube channel, so everyone can learn about this story and join the mission to conserve Darwin's Frog.

A global effort for biodiversity

The Chilean Embassy emphasized that these types of initiatives reflect the country's commitment to environmental protection and the importance of international cooperation in safeguarding our natural heritage for future generations.

We would like to especially thank the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) , the Chilean Embassy in the United Kingdom, and all our partners and collaborators in the Binational Darwin's Frog Conservation Strategy for their support of this cause. Thanks to this collaborative effort, Darwin's Frog remains at the center of global conservation efforts.

Thank you for reading “NGO Ranita de Darwin presents its work at the Chilean Embassy in the United Kingdom.” For more information about this project, visit: https://www.ranitadedarwin.org/rescatetantauco

You can be part of our NGO through the Adopt a Darwin Frog donation program. Find out more at https://www.ranitadedarwin.org/adoptayunete