Frog-jumping contest

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32736, 13 October 1971, Page 5

Frog-jumping contest

The organisers of the Frog-Jumping Championships had emphasised at all times that mistreatment of frogs would not be tolerated and that the slightest evidence of cruelty to frogs would result in the disqualification of the competitor and the forfeiture of any prize, the secretary-manager of the championships (Mr D. Grady) said yesterday.

He was replying to two letters to the editor of “The Press” about the contest, one from “Disgusted ExBishopdale Shopper,” printed on Monday, and one from Mrs Nora Sanderson, who wrote: —

“We are assured by the promoters of the proposed frog-jumping contest that supervision on the day will guarantee an absence of cruelty. No-one is suggesting there will be intentional

cruelty, but the public are concerned that these extremely sensitive and quite fascinatingly intelligent creatures may unwittingly be subjected to conditions they find utterly unacceptable. It would be stupid to imagine that frogs enjoy such contests or are happy in even the most carefully supervised state of captivity. They react strongly to fear, and if actually terrified of strange and unnatural surroundings will inevitably die. Another point of great significance, what will be the fate of these frogs when the contest is over and coveted prizes secured by competitors? Will the frogs be taken back to the site of their capture, or merely dumped out in the back yard?" Many children had pet frogs in home aquariums and the contest was designed to give joy to children and help teach them to look after their pets, said Mr Grady. “The whole promotion of the championships has been built around a general theme of kindness to animals, humanity to frogs and the showing to them of tenderness and loving care,” he said.

The chief judge for the contest will be Mr J. Hammett, the inspector for the Canterbury branch of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to animals, Mr Grady said.

Advice on the humane treatment of frogs had been obtained from Department of Agriculture officials and would be strictly observed,

he said. At the end of the contest, frogs would be liberated in suitable, natural habitats on the advice of Mr Hammett, officers of the Department of Agriculture and zoologists. “I must point out that some youngsters who have kept their pet frogs for several years plan to return the frogs to their specially constructed aquariums,” he said.

“Already, since the contest was organised, lectures on kindness to frogs have been given to Boy Scout cub groups; hundreds of schools have had morning talks on frogs and how to treat them humanely; many schools have assigned their school children to write essays on frogs, and the whole promotion could well wind up by giving frogs a better deal than they have ever had before.”