[PHOTO/standardmedia.co.ke]

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Researchers have expressed huge concern on the high rate of frog depopulation in Kenya.

The scientists singled out disease and destruction of natural habitats as major factors that threaten the amphibians.

From this, the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) in conjunction with a US university are liaising to develop a technology that will help in tracking all animals categorised as amphibians with the view of protecting them.

The project will be targetting species which the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed as endangered.

According to data from IUCN, some 1,800 species of amphibians in the world face extinction with at least 235 are in sub-Saharan Africa.

Destruction of habitats is the main challenge cited in the Sub-Saharan Africa.

"The first major goal of our project is to collate information about amphibians in Kenya. We will build this from existing records. We will then create a digital inventory that we will update from time to time," Sharon Kahara, a researcher with Humboldt State University in the US said.