In Kerala’s Munnar region — part of the biodiverse Western Ghats — the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) has launched an ambitious Amphibian Recovery Project to protect and restore breeding grounds for several endemic and threatened frog species. With nearly 41 out of the roughly 45 frog species in the area being endemic, many are under threat from habitat loss, pesticide use, road mortality and fungal disease.

The project has created six artificial ponds in the Munnar landscape to offer safe breeding sites for water-dependent species. One of its biggest wins came in 2025 when an Anamalai Gliding Frog (Rhacophorus pseudomalabaricus) — a vulnerable, tree-dwelling species — was recorded nesting in one of these man-made ponds. The team also documented the Galaxy Frog (Melanobatrachus indicus) — a species not spotted in decades — marking a major rediscovery.

Beyond pond-building, WTI partners with local plantations (like Kanan Devan Hills) to protect forest fragments, engage plantation workers, and mitigate roadkill by identifying high-risk road stretches. Disease monitoring is also underway: the project tracks chytrid fungus (Bd), a pathogen responsible for amphibian declines worldwide.

Education is a key pillar too. WTI organizes “Frog Assemblies” where students, researchers and local communities learn about species like the Meowing Night Frog, Shola Night Frog and Bush Frogs.