World first as one of the planet's rarest frogs breeds at London Zoo
London Zoo has bred 15 Afia Birago froglets, a species that survives in just two pools in Ghana's Atewa forest. They will form a back-up population while their home is protected.
15 Afia Birago froglets have hatched at London Zoo, the first time in the world this species has bred in human care. It is a tiny frog, smaller than a pencil tip, that survives in the wild in just two pools in the Atewa forest, Ghana.
A safety net for the species
The breeding is the result of work by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) with Herp Conservation Ghana and Ghana’s Forestry Research Institute (CSIR-FORIG). The froglets will form a back-up population: if anything threatens the Atewa pools, the species will not vanish.
Why it matters
Amphibians are the most threatened group of animals on Earth. Every species bred outside its habitat buys time to protect its home, and for this frog, that home fits in two pools.
