00:00They looked like stars had fallen to Earth, but now they might be gone forever.
00:04In the misty rainforests of southern India, a frog no bigger than your thumb sparkled
00:09like a galaxy.
00:11The Melanobotracus indicus, or galaxy frog, had a jet-black body sprinkled with glowing
00:16star-like spots.
00:18So rare, it's the only one of its kind on the entire planet.
00:22But today, scientists fear they may be extinct.
00:25In 2020, zoologist Rajkumar K.P. discovered seven of these magical frogs under a fallen
00:30log.
00:31Then the pandemic hit.
00:33He couldn't return for years.
00:35And when he finally did, the frogs had vanished.
00:38The log was smashed, plants trampled, the galaxy frogs… gone.
00:43At first, he blamed animals.
00:45But then the truth emerged.
00:47Photographers had overrun the site.
00:49They turned over logs, grabbed the fragile frogs without gloves, and even killed some
00:53while taking photos.
00:55These tiny creatures, already critically endangered, were destroyed by the very people claiming
00:59to admire them.
01:01Now, despite months of searching, none have been seen again.
01:05And all that's left is the memory of a galaxy in the forest.
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