An 11-year-old Bolivian water frog named Romeo has been looking for his “Juliet” for the past decade to save his species.
Global Wildlife Conservation, Match.com and the Bolivian Amphibian Initiative have teamed up for a fundraising campaign to find a mate for this lonely Sehuencas water frog.
The campaign is hoping to raise $15,000 before Valentine’s Day to support the Bolivian Amphibian Initiative’s 10 expeditions to locations where the species was once common.
Popular dating website Match.com created an online dating profile for Romeo, whose relationship status is listed as “Never Married,” “No Kids” but under desiring babies: “Definitely.”
In his dating profile video, Romeo says with a Spanish accent, “I am a pretty simple guy. I tend to keep to myself and love spending nights at home. I also love eating, then again who doesn’t? I bet you are wondering what a frog like me is doing in a place like this. Well I am here to find my match,” and then continues with a sad voice, “Just like you.”
He adds, “Except my situation is little bit more urgent. If I don’t find that one special lady soon, my entire species will be gone as we know it. No pressure. So, if you believe in love and want to help an old frog out, please donate to my cause. Adios, amigos.”
Match.com CEO Hesam Hosseini said, “Finding a match for Romeo is a new challenge for us, but in the interest of saving an entire species, we gladly and confidently accept.” Match.com will match each donation from February 9 until Valentine’s Day on the 14th.
Arturo Munoz, founder of the Bolivian Amphibian Initiative and GWC associate conservation scientist, said, “When biologists collected Romeo 10 years ago, we knew the Sehuencas water frog, like other amphibians in Bolivia, was in trouble, but we had no idea we wouldn’t be able to find a single other individual in all this time.”
Romeo started to call for a mate about a year after he was brought into captivity and Munoz pointed out that those calls have slowed in the last few years.
“We don’t want him to lose hope, and we continue to remain hopeful that others are out there, so we can establish a conservation breeding program to save this species,” Munoz said.
Robin Moore, amphibian conservation biologist and GWC communications director, said, “Romeo may be the world’s loneliest frog now, but his fate stands to change dramatically with the help of Match and generous singles and couples who decide to show their love for Romeo and our wild world this Valentine’s Day.”
