Frogs are typically not animals anyone readily cares about. Why? Even their loud croaks at night make them all the less desirable to love and care about, especially in a country like Ghana. Ghana has nearly 80 frog species with many found in the wild and many more awaiting discovery by researchers and scientists.

The endemic Togo Slippery Frog is one such unique species. For forty years, the world thought the species were extinct. They made a niche for themselves with their perfect camouflage and bulging eyes and reproduced of their kind waiting to be rediscovered; they had no plans of going extinct. The Togo Slippery Frog or the whistling frog can only be found in the Togo-Volta Hills along the Ghana-Togo border; that means globally, they can only be found in that one spot and only in Ghana.

In 2012, the narrative changed. The hunger for knowledge and passion for nature conservation especially frogs led herpetologist, Dr Caleb Ofori Boateng and his team of researchers to Amedzofe. 

The creation of the Onepone Endangered Species Refuge, a 350 hectare sized forest area by Dr Caleb Ofori Boateng through his Herp Conservation Ghana Organisation, will safeguard the survival of the worlds’ most threatened and unique frog species among other endemic flora and fauna including the black-bellied and white-bellied pangolins and butterflies.

Founder of Herp Conservation Ghana, Dr Caleb Ofori Boateng said “Herp Ghana established the Onepone Endangered Species Refuge basically for one reason and the reason is that we have a lot of endemic species here. And these species were being threatened in that they were going to go extinct because of how the people were using the forest; so we came in and decided to work with the people to protect the forest and thus the species.”

Through education, awareness creation and community engagement the hearts of the people of Amedzofe and its surrounding communities have been turned to care about nature and the future it presents when conserved intentionally. Over the years, Herp Conservation Ghana’s behavioural change campaigns although it has not been easy, have paid off significantly; with more than 100 hunters being converted into conservationists and nature activists.

Conservation Officer at Herp Conservation Ghana, Michael Akrasi said “Changing a person’s behaviour doesn’t happen overnight. But through engagement and being sincere as possible as we can, not giving them any vague promises or hope; letting them understand the realities of why they need to protect these wildlife species as opposed to destroying them. I think that was what got us this far in getting hunters, getting illegal chain operators to buy into this conservation idea.”

Geoffrey Afenyo is a father of three and the breadwinner of a family of seven. Until 3 years ago, his main source of livelihood for himself and his family was in hunting and farming in the Amedzope and Gbadzeme forests.

Today he is a Behavioral Change Champion working with Herp Conservation Ghana. He takes pride in earning a monthly salary with which he can support his family without having to kill animals anymore.

“I don’t have anything like regret because I am on salary and I am giving help for the animals to become more and also to my people [in Gbadzeme and Amedzope] and friends to all support to conserve the animals in the forests,” he says

Today, the Onepone Endangered Species Refuge is an ecotourism site. Within the forest lies a canopy walkway constructed under environmentally friendly conditions and the Oti Waterfall which drives local and foreign tourists to the Refuge.

As a result of this beneficiary ecotourism, tourist guides have been trained from within the communities, farmers have buyers for their farm produce and the pride of people within the range of the Onepone Endangered Species Refuge shoots beyond the skies. Every night, the whistles of the frogs remind them of their mutual agreement of conservation.

When nature is consciously conserved, it intends to take care of its caregivers. Do what you can today and contribute to mitigating climate change.

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Devinia Cudjoe is a freelance writer and video producer. She has worked with Vox Africa and Pacus Media and presently collaborates with the Associated Press and DW TV.

She studied and holds a BA in Communication Studies with a major in Journalism from the Ghana Institute of Journalism. She can be contacted via email naaadorkorcudjoe@gmail.com