Panamanian Golden Frog: Atelopus zeteki

A national symbol of Panama has been declared extinct by BBC filmmakers. The crew was in Panama to film the unique frog for David Attenborough's most recent series on reptiles and amphibians, entitled Life in Cold Blood. The filmmakers achieved their objective and captured the golden frog on film, including rarely seen behavior.

The golden frog was devastated by the chytrid fungus, which has caused astounding declines in frog populations worldwide. According to the BBC, soon after the filming, scientists evacuated the remaining frogs from the area. Hilary Jeffkins, senior producer of Life in Cold Blood, is quoted by the BBC as saying, "The whole species is now extinct in Panama - this was one of the last remaining populations. Its final wave was in our programme."