- Brazilian woman detained at Bogota airport for attempting to smuggle 130 endangered dart frogs to Brazil via Panama.
- Endangered frog species can fetch up to $1,000 in international markets, attracting private collectors.
- Woman faces prosecution for illegal use of natural resources, which could lead to imprisonment and fines up to $14.2 million.
Additional Coverage:
- Woman arrested in Colombia with 130 poisonous frogs (cbsnews.com)
A Brazilian woman was taken into custody at Bogota’s El Dorado International Airport on Monday after attempting to smuggle 130 poisonous dart frogs out of the country, Colombian officials reported. The woman, who was en route to São Paulo, Brazil, via Panama, was detained by authorities, according to Colombia’s environment ministry. Upon inspecting her luggage, authorities discovered the endangered frogs hidden in film canisters.
Bogota Police Commander Juan Carlos Arevalo stated that the sought-after endangered species can fetch as much as $1,000 each in international markets. Arevalo added that private collectors have a particular interest in these frogs. The frogs, which were found to be dehydrated and distressed, originated from Nariño, a state in western Colombia. The woman claimed that she had received them as a gift from a local community, as stated by Adriana Soto, secretary of the environment.
The woman will be prosecuted for the illegal use of natural resources, which can result in imprisonment for 5-12 months and fines of up to 56 billion pesos (approximately $14.2 million).
According to the San Diego Zoo, the tiny endangered frogs, known as “the jewels of the rainforest,” are indigenous to Central and South American rainforests. They come in various vivid color combinations, such as red and black, yellow and green, orange and silver, blue and yellow, green and black, and pink and silver. These vibrant colors act as a warning to predators, indicating their poisonous skin. Ingesting these frogs can lead to swelling, muscle paralysis, and even death.
The San Diego Zoo explains that the frogs are referred to as poison dart frogs due to the Chocó people from western Colombia using the poison to coat the tips of their blow darts for hunting. Even a small drop of the poison from these frogs can be lethal to birds and small mammals.
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- Woman arrested in Colombia with 130 poisonous frogs (cbsnews.com)