Tiny froglets give a London–Ghana conservation partnership new hope

Fifteen tiny Afia Birago’s puddle frogs have been born at London Zoo, giving conservationists a new way to protect an amphibian whose remaining forest habitat is threatened by mining.

ZSL says these are the first births in human care for the species, following the arrival of 20 adults from Ghana in September 2025. The new froglets are just five millimetres long.

The work links London’s amphibian specialists with Herp Conservation Ghana and Ghana’s Forestry Research Institute. Before the move, keeper Unnar Aevarsson collected water samples and photographed vegetation in Ghana to help recreate suitable conditions.

Breeding success does not remove the threat to the two pools where the species survives in the wild. Sustainable populations in Ghana and possible future releases remain goals, rather than completed recoveries.

But the births provide practical knowledge to share. Care and breeding methods developed in London can help colleagues at the conservation centre in Kumasi build a safeguard for these exceptionally small frogs.

Sources

• London Zoo — first Afia Birago’s puddle frog births
• ZSL — how the London–Ghana breeding partnership works