In early September, the news about 390 poor Peruvian frogs of the Titicaca water frog species spread all over the world. The Peruvian National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR), during another raid in the Puno region (near Lake Titicaca), found a box on a bus heading to the capital of Peru containing 390 giant frogs of the endangered Telmatobiidae family.
These rare amphibians have been declared an endangered species and are listed in the Red Book. The main reason for their extinction, in addition to water pollution from illegal mining of minerals, is uncontrolled fishing.
The thing is that the Titicaca water frog (Lat. Telmatobius culeus) has been famous since ancient times for its ability to revive “masculine strength” and is used in Peruvian cuisine as an aphrodisiac, popularly they are also called “Inca viagra”. In local markets, alas, you can still find a special drink called “frog juice” and numerous amulets from the paws of a whistler. Despite the high fine equal to about 50 minimum wages, there are poachers who continue illegal business. In June of this year, there was another high-profile detention of poachers trying to take more than 790 rare amphibians from the lake.
In pursuit of the miraculous power of nature, not only poor frogs from Titicaca are mercilessly caught. A similar fate befell Brazilian wandering spiders, they are also banana spiders (lat.Phoneutria nigriventer) of the family Ctenidae. The venom of this species is considered the deadliest among spiders, it is 20 times more powerful than the venom of the Black Widow. In addition to causing unbearable pain, the poison causes priapism (uncontrolled long erection) in people, but it can also provoke cardiac arrest.
According to Peruvian conservationists, there is a whole network of illegal companies engaged in the mass capture and export of such animals. The high demand is explained by the successful medical trials conducted at the Brazilian hospital Santi Caso Belo Horizonte, which made it possible to obtain a natural medicine similar to Viagra. This product is made in the form of a cream. Unlike conventional Viagra, it does not have such a large list of contraindications, which makes the drug especially attractive and, in turn, increases the demand for the starting material.
People often forget about their younger brothers in the pursuit of profit. But our whole world is a single fragile mechanism that works in harmony exactly until its details begin to disappear, among which there are definitely no unnecessary ones. The “Cordillera Escalera” Ecolodge takes care of the preservation of flora and fauna on its territory and around, and we always try to convey to our guests the necessary knowledge and respect for the unique Peruvian nature.