VIENNA - Austrian efforts to rescue 20,000 Yugoslav frogs from death in Italian gourmet restaurants failed yesterday after zoologists said the animals would damage the local frog population if allowed to stay. "I'm so sad we can't help them," said Harald Schwammer, a zoologist at Vienna's Schoenbrunn zoo. "It's awful they'll now be eaten."
The frogs arrived from Yugoslavia on Thursday and were due to continue their voyage to Milan last night. Austrian Airlines said it had a policy of not transporting animals but airport personnel had only realised the shipment contained live frogs after it arrived for transit in Vienna.