Colombian breeds rare frogs to undermine animal traffickers

An Oophaga lehmanni "Red" stands at the “Tesoros de Colombia” frog breeding center in Cundinamarca, Colombia, Monday, May 20, 2019. The species, that is poisonous in the wild but in captivity does not consume the food it needs to become toxic, is so rare that collectors refer to it as "the holy grail. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Zoo-technologists Alejandra Curubo, left, and Ivan Ramos pack frogs for export to the U.S. at the “Tesoros de Colombia” frog breeding center in Cundinamarca, Colombia, Monday, May 20, 2019. The center's goal is to undermine smugglers by breeding exotic frogs legally and selling them at lower prices than specimens plucked by traffickers from Colombia's jungles. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

NOCAIMA, Colombia – In a small farmhouse surrounded by cloud forest, Iván Lozano inspects dozens of glass containers that hold some of the world's most coveted frogs.

The conservationist has been fighting the illegal trade in rare tropical frogs for years, risking his life and his checkbook to save the brightly colored, poisonous amphibians whose population in the wild is dwindling.

But Lozano doesn't hunt down poachers and smugglers. He's trying to undermine them by breeding exotic frogs legally and selling them at lower prices than specimens plucked by traffickers from Colombia's jungles. His frog-breeding center, Treasures of Colombia, is among a handful of conservation programs trying to curtail the trafficking of wild animals by providing enthusiasts with a more eco-friendly alternative: specimens bred in captivity.

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