At about 5mm long, the froglets are about the size of the tip of a pencil
Fifteen critically endangered frogs have been bred in captivity for the first time at London Zoo as part of its emergency conservation programme.
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.
Ben Tapley, curator of reptiles and amphibians at ZSL, which runs the central London zoo, said: "They may be tiny enough to sit on your fingertip, but their arrival represents a huge step forward for an amphibian facing an uncertain future."
ZSL said no other zoo or institution was known to keep the species.
It was only described by scientists in 2018. Fully grown, the frogs weigh less than 1.75g.
ZSL said almost nothing was known about them when they arrived, and keepers have since developed breeding techniques that are being shared with the CSIR-Forestry Research Institute of Ghana's breeding centre in Kumasi.
The aim is to build up a population in Ghana that can be released into the wild.
Ghanaian conservationist Caleb Ofori-Boateng, who helped identify the species, named it after his mother, Afia Birago.
"I named this frog after my mother so that her legacy would live on," he said.
"Thanks to this breeding programme, it will. Her name will be linked to a species we saved, not one we lost."
The births follow the zoo's success last November in breeding the Atewa slippery frog, another critically endangered species from the same forest, which had also never been bred in captivity before.
Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, external, X, external and Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk, external
London Zoo animals take to scales for annual weigh-in
£20m mystery gift buys London Zoo new hospital where you can watch vets work
London Zoo
Noah’s Ark hospice raises more than £1.2m to support seriously ill children
Elizabeth Line delay payouts soar in misery for commuters
Bexley paedo magician who abused girl & held 1,700 child abuse images jailed
Killer arrested in Lewisham after teen stabbed eight times in basement attack
Ralphie's: Former Dorchester chef's 'neighbourhood place' in Belgravia
'We said no': Thames Water denied filming in Richmond borough
Watch our pick of standout clips from across the BBC
Former DUP leader Donaldson sentenced to 15 years in prison for child sex abuse
Man killed by tiger died from 'multiple injuries'
Russell Brand accuser says alleged rape left her afraid she may be pregnant
My son wants to try protein powders – I asked experts how safe it was
Wales has an education crisis. Can it be fixed?
Dog that hunts invasive 'sea vomit' honoured as animal of the year
PM launches brain cancer review after meeting 'inspirational' patient
My contraceptive coil saved my life after it revealed I had cancer
Photographer's 'awe' at rare albino stag encounter
What's going on between Kelly Clarkson and a Brooklyn store bird? Video
Professor shares 'most important thing to do' when someone is grieving
US Politics Unspun: Cut through the noise with Anthony Zurcher's newsletter
The long shift behind our modern obsession with hard work
How rats were trained to clear landmines
Dark, gripping surrogacy thriller starring Martin Compston
How to maintain healthy eating habits when travelling for work
Man killed by tiger died from 'multiple injuries'
Severe drought declared in parts of southern England
Russell Brand accuser says alleged rape left her afraid she may be pregnant
Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking oil refinery after Zelensky says strikes to resume
Former DUP leader Donaldson sentenced to 15 years in prison for child sex abuse
UK threatens to ban Eritreans over migrant return policy
I'm 12 and I want to try protein powder – should I?
Tiny rare frogs bred for first time at London Zoo
White House defends new press secretary over her legal credentials
Reform faces criticism after councillors filmed making racist comments
Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
About the Author
