Meet Pembrokeshire’s newest resident - Lucky - labelled ‘the luckiest frog on the planet’ - after the amphibian was literally given a second lease of life, following a spin in a washing machine after being discovered as a ‘stowaway’ from a trip to Phuket!

Dr Sarah Beynon, founder of Dr Beynon's Bug Farm in St Davids shared the story on social media: “Lucky accidentally came home in the suitcase of a friend from Thailand.

“After doing a post-holiday wash, our friend pulled the clothes out of the washing machine and Lucky jumped out too.

“How an amphibian survived the laundry liquid and the spin cycle is beyond impressive when you are a creature that absorbs toxins through your skin.

"How it managed to survive also the forces, you can just imagine the frog stuck to the side of the drum as it was spinning around!”

After grudgingly agreeing to take her, with the Farm’s New Years resolution at being better at saying no to new guests going firmly out the window shortly after January 1st, Dr Beynon called her good mate Pete HIll from Amphibian and Reptile Conservation for advice and set up a quarantine tank.

However, the Farm was then told to stand down because Lucky had ‘run out of luck’ and died. But, the story did not end there, as Dr Beynon’s got another message to say the frog had come back from the dead and was actually alive!

“Lucky rocked up in good form, but having refused the house spider she had been offered for supper. She has now taken up residence in a small quarantine tank while we get her eating and plan a permanent amphibian mansion for her in our Tropical Bug Zoo,” Dr Beynon explained.

“Next time a child asks the usual question of: 'Have you got snakes or frogs here at The Bug Farm?' and we inwardly roll our eyes and explain what an invertebrate is, we'll have to refrain from our usual reply.

“Absolutely no idea if Lucky is male or female to be honest, but we're pretty sure that 'she' is a golden tree frog.

“Hopefully, Lucky will survive her ordeal and be ready you meet her adoring public in February Half Term! Happy New Year everyone,” she added.

Golden tree frogs [known as Polypedates Leucomystax] are robust and found throughout the tropics. The scientific name actually refers to a group of closely related species.

They are currently not threatened, due to their tolerance for various environmental conditions, and have a life expectancy of about five years.

Since opening its doors in 2015, The Bug Farm has received numerous awards and is a Visit Wales Quality Assured visitor attraction.

The Bug Farm is based on 100 acres of Pembrokeshire’s finest countryside; and with indoor and outdoor exhibits, the attraction hopes to showcase the wonders of ‘bugs’ and what they do for us, stating: ‘Although we don’t always realise it, invertebrates have a vital role in modern society: they guide modern technology; inspire art; benefit our gardens and much more.’