The longnose harlequin frog, not seen since the 1980s, was found again in 2016 and has since become a symbol of defiance against mining plans in the Intag Valley
“At first, it’s hard to believe – you need to convince yourself it’s not a dream,” says the Ecuadorian biologist Elicio Tapia. “When you find a species thought to be extinct, after searching for so many years, it’s unbelievable to see it again.”
Tapia was part of the team that in 2016 “rediscovered” the rare longnose harlequin frog (Atelopus longirostris) – a striking little yellow-spotted frog with a pointed snout that hadn’t been seen since 1989 and was presumed extinct.