DOMINION POST (Wellington, New Zealand) 22 June 10 Illegally traded frogs destroyed (Ian Steward)

A family of exotic Australian frogs being kept illegally by an Auckland man has been destroyed.

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) officers presume the White's Tree Frogs were smuggled to New Zealand.

However, the man charged, Auckland frog and lizard collector Haisley Pace, 33, has not confirmed how he came to possess them.

A breeding pair of adults and over 50 juvenile frogs were discovered at his home in early January after the frogs were advertised for sale on Trade Me.

The whole family has since been euthanized by freezing.

MAF Enforcement Director Jockey Jensen said the frogs were classed as "unauthorised organisms".

With disease causing frog populations to plummet around the world, it was necessary to control which frogs were admitted, he said.

Investigators found six of the frogs had been sold but these were recovered and also destroyed.

On Friday, Pace was discharged without conviction in the Auckland District Court but was ordered to pay $10,000 in reparation for the investigation and court costs.

Jensen said Pace did not say how the frogs came into his possession.

The White's Tree Frog is a species commonly found in Australia and was introduced to New Zealand in the late 19th century.

They were thought to have died out in the early 1970s.

Wikipedia says White's Tree frogs are popular as pets for their "docile nature, often cartoon-like appearance, and long life expectancy".

Jensen said although the frogs were known to sometimes reach New Zealand, they have never been able to naturalise and there were no known wild populations.

"If we are going to protect this country's unique biodiversity we must all be vigilant about preventing unwelcome imports that may carry a risk of introducing a pest or disease into the country and ensuring we report anything unusual."
Illegally traded frogs destroyed

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