Source: Radio New Zealand
Dr Ben Bell and Rumi Lourie. Supplied / Department of Conservation
A 12-year-old in Lower Hutt has made a discovery so unexpected it got the attention of the Department of Conservation (DOC).
Rumi Lourie, who wants to study to become an entomologist, was exploring around a creek near his home when he noticed a frog that looked different to the ones he was used to finding.
Rumi emailed photos of his discovery to DOC, who confirmed the find to be a native Hochstetter’s frog.
Hochstetter’s frogs don’t croak, have external eardrums and round eyes.
They’re more common in Waikato, Coromandel, Auckland, Northland and East Cape, but are not known to be living south of the King Country.
However, Rumi’s discovery placed the frog hundreds of kilometres south of their current known range.
Hochstetter’s frogs are not known to be living south of the King Country. Supplied / Nick Harker
Rumi’s mother, Sadaf, told RNZ’s Morning Report her son had always been interested in nature and the world around him.
“He’s pretty tenacious. He’s always been kind of pretty single-minded when it comes to what he’s interested in,” she said.
“It happened to be the natural world and especially bugs. I think basically since he was born, that’s what he was into.
“It was kind of easy for us as parents with an interest like that. It was always easy to distract him when he was about to have a tantrum and there’s a creek nearby.”
As for his adventuring, Rumi said: “It’s great down there. I mean, it is really muddy, and I have to clean off my boots when I get back. But other than that, it’s amazing.”
Research into Rumi’s discovery by DOC staff revealed that Dr Ben Bell from Victoria University of Wellington was living nearby in the 1970s and had been breeding Hochstetter’s frogs in captivity as part of a research project, but they had escaped during a flood nearly 50 years ago.
Rumi Lourie. Supplied / Sadaf Lourie
It was presumed the frogs had died during the flood.
Rumi was joined by Dr Bell, staff from DOC and Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne to survey the areas around his home, finding three frogs in just a few hours.
Genetic testing is unde rway and DOC believes they are likely descendants of the 1970s frog escapees.
Bell was surprised when he first heard of the discovery.
“It’s remarkable they were able to survive and establish a small population, even though there are predators in the area,” Bell said.
DOC technical advisor Tertia Thurley said it was proof you didn’t have to go far to have an experience with nature.
“The fact they’ve been quietly living and breeding in this busy suburban environment all this time, unknown to people, through weather events and with predators in the area, is really unexpected.”
DOC confirmed the frogs will be left to continue living in the area they were discovered.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
