The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a statement on Friday many American bullfrogs have been found in the city’s wetlands and brooks, urging residents not to abandon the large frogs as the amphibians could cause serious ecological damage.
According to the statement, IAM staff members have recently found a large number of American bullfrogs, one of the world’s most invasive species. The statement said after capturing the bullfrogs, it emerged that many of them were suffering from serious health conditions, such as blindness and mouth inflammation. The statement stressed that even though the bullfrogs might die due to their inability to adapt to Macau’s natural environment, their carcasses could still cause serious harm to the city’s ecosystem.
The statement pointed out that IAM staff members have been working hard to capture and dispose of the bullfrogs in order to avoid further damage to the environment.
The statement noted that American bullfrogs are large-sized carnivorous amphibians, adding that a mature bullfrog will eat anything that is smaller than it, such as fish, small bats, reptiles, other amphibians, shrimps, and birds. The statement said that if the bullfrogs were able to adapt to the city’s environment, they would be competing for survival with local amphibians. Moreover, the statement also pointed out that the bullfrogs carry the amphibian chytrid fungus which could cause a decline in amphibian populations.
Chytridiomycosis is an infectious disease that affects amphibians worldwide. It is caused by the chytrid fungus, a fungus capable of causing sporadic deaths in some amphibian populations and 100 per cent mortality in others.
The statement underlined that releasing alien species in the natural environment potentially causes severe damage to the local ecosystem.
According to the statement, humans and nature must co-exist harmonically, adding that damaging the environment could damage public health. The bureau urged residents not to abandon or release alien species into the natural environment, as according to the Animal Protection Law, unauthorised release of living beings can lead to a fine of up to 100,000 patacas.
This undated handout photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) on Friday shows an American bullfrog with mouth inflammation.
