12 February 2024 , 19:14
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A road will be closed for six weeks to let toads, frogs and newts hop across.
A local rescue group hopes to help an estimated 2,500 amphibians reach their breeding lake in a valley below. Charlcombe Lane in Bath will be shut until March 25.
Helen Hobbs, of the Charlcombe Toad Rescue Group, said volunteers will patrol the road to keep the creatures safe. She explained amphibians typically migrate after dusk during February and March.
She said: “In Charlcombe they often become trapped by high stone walls, so volunteers patrol each evening to move the amphibians to a safe release site to allow them to continue their journey.
“It’s estimated 20 tons of toads are killed on roads each year so our group is dedicated to doing everything we can to ensure the toad, frog and newt populations at Charlcombe survive.”
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The amphibians will cross Charlcombe Lane along with frogs and newts (Bath Chronicle)The road has been closed each spring since 2003 and has been agreed by Bath and North East Somerset Council.
Last year, Toad Rescue – Charlcombe reported 2,418 toads, frogs and newts had crossed the road, with 77 found dead. The group’s Mike Collins said he gets a “sense of achievement” by helping pregnant amphibians.
He said: “It is about taking action. Giving nature a fighting chance of surviving.” Nationally, there are 203 toad patrols, with 115,177 animals given a safe passage in 2023, said charity Froglife.
A road in Lincolnshire also closes each year to help amphibians reach breeding spots. Toads are run over on the lane in Sleaford as males hitch a ride on females’ backs. More than 40 pairs were found dead on the road on one day in 2013. The Wildlife Trust Fund explained common toads are found across the UK.
It added: “Toads are famous for mass migrations back to breeding ponds on the first warm, damp evenings of the year, often around Valentine’s Day. They’re found almost everywhere, except for Scottish islands, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Isles of Scilly and most of the Channel Islands.”