Colombia's Treasures: Innovative way to protect amphibians from poachers

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Colombia is home to 734 frog species, with some of the greatest varieties in the world. But being one of the richest countries in biodiversity also makes animals victims to traffickers who take rare species illegally to sell to collectors. Our correspondent Michelle Begue has more from Colombia.

Ivan Lozano fights poachers and smugglers without a gun. He is beating them at their own game in the market. By breading rare frogs legally at the same price or even lower than those illegally taken by smugglers out of the jungle.

IVAN LOZANO, FOUNDER TREASURES OF COLOMBIA "In the case of amphibians, the most trafficked group are venomous frogs, and Colombia is a world leader as it has the largest number of species. And because these frogs are so striking, they are constantly trafficked."

This sustainable farm located in Colombia is called Tesoros de Colombia or Treasures of Colombia in English. The project gives rare frog collectors from around the world a more eco-friendly alternative to purchase these little critters.

And it seems to have worked. This much-sought species, known popularly as the Golden Dart Frog was priced at $150 U.S. dollars a few years ago to just 30 dollars currently.

IVAN LOZANO, FOUNDER TREASURES OF COLOMBIA "We tried to bring down the costs slowly like for our yellow venomous frog, the Phyllobates Terribilis. We have been able to get the price down to a point where it is not attractive to come to the jungle and capture it because it is more costly than to purchase them from Treasures of Colombia."

The job isn't easy and it is costly. The research involved to bread these animals in captivity can take years. In fact, he says it took him two decades to breed his first red-banded poison frog.

MICHELLE BEGUE BOGOTA "Lozano has accumulated thousands of dollars of debt to keep the breeding center afloat and secure export permits from the Colombian government."

IVAN LOZANO, FOUNDER TREASURES OF COLOMBIA "We are working towards a greater goal than money and that is the conservation of a species. In the end, we have helped save a species from extinction, and that cannot be compared with all the money in the world, that is much more valuable."

Treasures of Colombia has licenses to breed seven rare Colombian frogs. He is working with the Colombian government to get permits for another 13 that are being hunted by traffickers. According to a Colombian environmental research group, the Humboldt Institut, 160 amphibian species are critically endangered in the country. Michelle Begue, CGTN, Colombia.