New Zealand "frog ambassador" Ruud Kleinpaste, better known as television's "Bugman" made a whistlestop visit to the Whistling Frog Cafe in the Catlins on his way to Southland on Wednesday.
He told cafe owners Paul and Lynn Bridson he was excited to see how the cafe was preserving the habitat of the rare whistling frog and tadpoles which are cared for in and around the tourist attraction.
Kleinpaste said he had not been to the Catlins for about five years and was pleased to see there were conservation efforts in place to preserve the frogs which have been decimated by a virulent frog fungus in many parts of New Zealand.
Mr Bridson said he hoped to work with Otago University frog specialist Phil Burgess to build an interactive exhibit at the cafe because many guests were intrigued by the "froggie inhabitants" and wanted to see the extremely small and reclusive adult frogs.
