PHOTO TOURISM DRIVES RAREST GALAXY FROGS TOWARDS EXTINCTION

In recent years, the intersection of tourism and environmental conservation has become increasingly complex, often requiring careful consideration of environmental clearances and impact assessments. This issue has come to the forefront with alarming news about the galaxy frog in India’s Western Ghats.

Why in the News?

  • Alarming study: A scientific study reports that seven galaxy frogs from the Western Ghats have vanished and are presumed dead.
  • Cause identified: The study blames the rise of unethical photo tourism and repeated habitat disturbance, highlighting the need for stricter environmental impact assessments in tourism activities.
  • Global concern: Findings published in Herpetology Notes (Dec 17, 2025) highlight new conservation threats, emphasizing the importance of environmental jurisprudence in wildlife protection.

FINDINGS OF THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY

  • Species affected: The galaxy frog (Melanobatrachus indicus), endemic to Kerala’s Western Ghats, a region protected under the Forest Conservation Act.
  • Human interference: Photographers overturned rotten logs, trampled vegetation, and handled frogs directly, actions that may require retrospective environmental clearances.
  • Behavioural disruption: Prolonged exposure to camera flashes likely affected feeding and breeding, demonstrating the need for environmental impact assessments in tourism activities.
  • Habitat damage: Frog microhabitats were destroyed during repeated photography visits, raising questions about the implementation of the polluter pays principle in eco-tourism.
  • Outcome: Frogs disappeared permanently; researchers presume all seven are dead, highlighting the urgent need for precautionary principles in wildlife photography.

ROLE OF PHOTO TOURISM IN BIODIVERSITY LOSS

  • New-age threat: Photo tourism has emerged as a non-traditional but severe conservation risk, necessitating a reevaluation of environmental clearances for tourism activities.
  • Flagship effect: Threat intensified after the frog was named flagship species of a national park, demonstrating the need for balanced environmental impact assessments in conservation efforts.
  • Lack of regulation: Absence of ethical wildlife photography guidelines worsened impacts, pointing to gaps in environmental jurisprudence regarding eco-tourism.
  • Invisible harm: Non-lethal disturbances can still cause species extinction, emphasizing the importance of the precautionary principle in environmental management.
  • Conservation dilemma: Awareness-driven tourism can paradoxically endanger rare species, highlighting the need for robust environmental clearance processes in tourism development.

WESTERN GHATS BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT
● Global status: Recognised as one of the world’s eight hottest biodiversity hotspots, protected under the Forest Conservation Act.
● Endemism: Home to numerous endemic amphibians, reptiles, and plants, requiring careful environmental impact assessments for conservation.
● Threats: Faces pressure from deforestation, climate change, tourism, and landslides, necessitating strict environmental clearances for development projects.
● Conservation need: Requires strict habitat protection and ethical ecotourism norms, guided by principles of environmental jurisprudence.
● Policy relevance: Critical for India’s commitments under CBD and wildlife protection laws, including the implementation of coastal regulation zone norms where applicable.