2005 Press Releases

Textbooks Donated to Njala University Biological Sciences Department

November 14, 2005

Freetown
Contact: PAO
226481
 
Monday, November 14, 2005.  The United States Embassy in Freetown presented over a hundred textbooks to the Biological Sciences Department of Njala University on behalf of US scientist Professor Theodore Papenfuss of the University of California, Berkley.
 
In July 2004, Professor Papenfuss and Sierra Leonean scientist, Abdulai Barrie of the Biology Department of Njala University, made headlines with their announcement that they had found a rare species of frog, the Cardiglosa aureoli, 41 years after it was first described by biologists in Sierra Leone. Named after Mount Aureol, the Cardioglosa aureoli, no larger than a 100 leones coin, was hitherto thought to be extinct.  Currently Cardioglosa aureoli is found in the Peninsular, limited to the surrounding forest areas of Freetown. Urbanization poses a serious threat to its habitat.  The only other known Cardioglosa species is native to Cameroon.

On his return to Berkley, Professor Papenfuss gave seminars about his successful collaboration with Njala and encouraged his audiences to donate textbooks to Njala’s Biological Sciences Department. He is currently collecting more textbooks for the department, which will also be sent to continue restocking the library’s collection. The book presentation by the Embassy formed part of the plenary sessions of a 4-day Academic Staff Capacity Enhancement Workshop organized by the University and funded by UNESCO.
 
The greater public awareness created by this international collaboration has contributed to the protection of this unique species, but further scientific research is needed to locate additional places where the frog exists, and may be endangered.
 
Scientific Contact: Mr. Abdulai Barrie, email: ahbarrie@yahoo.com
US Embassy Press Contact: Tel: 226481
Njala University Press Contact: