Full Breakdown
First Captive Births of Afia Birago’s Puddle Frog at London Zoo
By Drooid · · How we work
Conservation Background and Threats
Afia Birago’s puddle frog (*Phrynobatrachus afiabirago*), formally described in 2018, is classified as Critically Endangered. The species is known from only two pools in Ghana’s Atewa Hills Forest Reserve, a biodiversity hotspot under pressure from proposed bauxite mining. Prior to recent imports, virtually nothing was known about the frog’s biology or husbandry.
Key Participants and Collaborative Efforts
The breeding programme is a partnership between the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Herp Conservation Ghana, and the CSIR-Forestry Research Institute of Ghana. Ben Tapley, curator of reptiles and amphibians at ZSL, highlighted the significance of the frogs despite their minute size. Ghanaian conservationist Caleb Ofori-Boateng, who helped identify the species, named it after his mother, Afia Birago, to honor her legacy. Amphibian keeper Unnar Aevarsson travelled to Ghana to assist in establishing a conservation facility in Kumasi and to gather ecological data needed for the captive environment.
Breeding Outcomes and Future Plans
In 2025, twenty adult frogs arrived at London Zoo from Ghana. Since then, fifteen froglets—each no larger than a pencil tip and weighing less than 1.75 g—have been born, marking the first successful captive reproduction of the species. ZSL reports that the breeding techniques developed are being shared with the Kumasi centre, with the goal of building a sustainable population in Ghana that could eventually be released into the wild. Habitat assessments on private lands surrounding the Atewa Hills are also underway to evaluate potential release sites.
Significance for Species Recovery
The births represent a tangible step toward preventing the extinction of one of the world’s smallest amphibians. By establishing a captive breeding protocol and transferring knowledge to Ghanaian partners, the programme aims to create a viable ex-situ population that supports future in-situ conservation and mitigates the species’ vulnerability to habitat loss.
