Dominica joined Montserrat and Europe in observing International Mountain Chicken Day on Tuesday.
The day was designed to create awareness of the presence of the frog, also known as Crapaud, on the island and other parts of the world.
Activities included an exhibition at the Botanical Gardens where one live mountain chicken was on display. Also on display were crickets, cockroaches’ and millipedes, which are used to feed the frogs at a special breeding facility, also located at the Botanic Gardens.
“Today Dominica is actually observing the International Mountain Chicken Day by having a welcome center at the Botanical Gardens,” Senior Amphibian Technician with Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, Machel Sulton told Dominica News Online. “So today is an awareness day to acknowledge the presence of the frog in Monsterrat, Dominica and Europe.”
Members of the public, including various schools across the island, are invited to attend the activity which ends at 4:00 pm.
So far over 100 students from different schools around Roseau have visited the exhibition.
Students and teachers of St Martin Primary School and the Convent Preparatory School viewed the exhibition and participated in different activities, including the coloring of Mountain Chicken on coloring sheets. They also visited the science corner where they were taught what is being done when collecting data and information on the animal.
For decades the Mountain Chicken was considered a delicacy and was sought after and savored for its chicken-like flavor. It was considered Dominica’s national dish, forms part of the islands Coat-of-Arms and is used as a logo by several very important Dominican institutions, like the National Bank of Dominica.
But disaster struck in 2002 when Dominica experienced the first rapid decline of the amphibian’s population due to arrival on the island, of a deadly fungal disease called the Amphibian Chytrid. This disease wiped out at least 80 percent of the population within 18 months and the creature, whose croaks were heard in many parts of Dominica, hung on the brink of extinction. A breeding facility has since been set up in the Botanic Gardens.
Today, the remaining wild population on the island has been estimated to be no more than a few hundred individuals, making the Crapaud one of the most critically endangered species in the world.
Here is a webpage that may be of interest to some of us interested in the fate of the Mountain Chicken.
http://gizmodo.com/scientists-hope-to-foil-deadly-frog-fungus-with-more-fu-1786473934
People shouldnt eat them thkngs any more that why they were extinct they no good
Look the man here in all his full glory: When you all read where I call a certain man ‘That Mountain Chicken Carpaud (Crapo) Mentality Sly Eye Sir Knight Indian doctor of nothing, is Roosevelt Skerrit, I am talking about!
So, they are celebrating a certain Mountain Chicken Crapo Mentality day today. Skerrit is the king of the Mountain Chicken, when he sits on his throne and all the his Crapo citizens of his kingdom gather in front of the crapo king all the sound you hear is gua-cock, gua-cock, gua-cock, me want money, me, me, me, want money oui!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
There used to be thousands of these frogs on Dominica, at Elmshall in the Roseau valley they were everywhere at night when they would come out to feed. It is really tragic that they almost got wiped out by the disease.
You all have the guts to be talking about International mountain chicken day? When are we going to be able to EAT them again? That is what I want to know. When are they going to return as part of our creole menu and as a national dish? It has been over 10 years since the cosumption of these animals was prohibited ( I think because of some disease they carried ). Where is the progress with this situation? Can’t other, healthy breeds of frongs be brought into the island?