Tiny critically endangered puddle frogs born at London Zoo
London Zoo has successfully bred the critically endangered Afia Birago's puddle frog for the first time in captivity. The conservation effort aims to protect the species, which is native to Ghana and threatened by mining.
Why it matters
This breeding program provides a vital lifeline for a species discovered only in 2018 and facing imminent habitat loss.
Image source, ZSL Image caption, At about 5mm long, the froglets are about the size of the tip of a pencil
Fifteen critically endangered frogs have been born at London Zoo, which says marks the first time the species has been bred in captivity.
The Afia Birago's puddle frog lives in Ghana's Atewa Hills Forest Reserve, where the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) says it survives in just two pools that are both under threat from mining.
Twenty adults were brought to London in September 2025 so experts could learn how to care for and breed them, and pass that knowledge on to conservationists in Ghana.
The froglets are about 5mm long, roughly the size of a pencil tip.
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