London Zoo breeds critically endangered Ghanaian frogs in captivity for the first time in history

Fifteen Afia Birago's puddle froglets — each no bigger than a pencil tip at 5mm long — have been born at London Zoo, marking the first time the critically endangered species has ever been bred in captivity. The frogs were discovered only in 2018 and survive in just two natural pools in Ghana's Atewa Hills Forest Reserve, both threatened by mining. Ben Tapley, ZSL's curator of reptiles and amphibians, called the births "a huge step forward for an amphibian facing an uncertain future."

Twenty adult frogs were brought from Ghana to London Zoo in September 2025 so keepers could develop breeding techniques to share with conservationists.

Ghanaian conservationist Caleb Ofori-Boateng, who helped discover the species, named it after his mother: 'Her name will be linked to a species we saved, not one we lost.'

The breeding techniques are now being shared with Ghana's CSIR-Forestry Research Institute in Kumasi, with the aim of releasing a captive-bred population into the wild.