The northern pool frog is one of the UK’s rarest amphibians and was once considered nationally extinct in the UK. They were reintroduced into Norfolk in the 2000’s, with the project continuing to support wild populations and ultimately be able to expand their range through the UK. This award is a wonderful recognition of the dedication, expertise and passion of everyone involved, and a reminder of what can be achieved when conservation organisations work together.

Sarah Lee, Group Head of Conservation, said: “We are absolutely over the moon to have won this BIAZA award. The northern pool frog recovery project has been an incredible conservation success story to work on and only made possible by the hard work and dedication of our conservation team and our fantastic and incredibly supportive project partners.”

We’re incredibly grateful to our partners at Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, Natural England and ZSL for their expertise, collaboration and continued support. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation said: “Congratulations to Lewis Dunmore, Sarah Lee, Zoe Starling and Will Smith for the Field Conservation award from BIAZA. Bringing the northern pool frog back from national extinction is a partnership effort and we have been delighted to work with Banham Zoo and Natural England to establish a captive population of northern pool frogs. These animals will allow us to expand the wild population in future, restoring the range of this incredibly rare frog. We see this work as a model for conservation breeding projects." - Jim Foster, Conservation Director, the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust. This award is a wonderful recognition of the dedication, expertise and passion of everyone involved, and a reminder of what can be achieved when conservation organisations work together.

Natural England added: “The northern pool frog is one of the UK's rarest species and a flagship species locally. I am very pleased to see Banham Zoo getting recognition for their contribution to the recovery of this species, alongside the partnership between the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, Natural England, and the Zoological Society of London. I feel optimistic about the future for pool frogs in the UK. The conservation breeding facility at Banham Zoo provides resilience against extinction and opportunities to expand the species current UK distribution to new sites.”

The journey to recover the northern pool frog continues, and we’re committed to building on this momentum to deliver lasting conservation impact and help secure a future for this incredibly rare species. ZSL DRAHS (Disease Risk Analysis & Health Surveillance) Vet Team: said “Disease risk analysis and management is a key part of any translocation project and through pre-release health screening, post-release health surveillance and advice on disease risk mitigation strategies, this project has been a great example of these processes in action. It has been fantastic to work with such passionate and knowledgeable partners on the pool frog recovery project which continues to go from strength to strength and to see that work recognised with this award.” We’d like to say a huge congratulations and thank you to everyone who has played a part in this project, which has ultimately helped protect a species from the brink of extinction.