Toad patrol helps thousands of animals cross roads

17 minutes ago

Clara Bullockand

Charlie Taylor,Somerset

News image — Last year, the group rescued 9,900 animals from the roads

BBC A man and a boy are leaning over a toad in the grass. They are shining flash lights and carry buckets. — Last year, the group rescued 9,900 animals from the roads

Toad patrol volunteers helped almost 10,000 animals cross a road last year, volunteer say.

The Toads on Roads Patrol is a group of volunteers going out every night between January and March to Hawkridge Reservoir on the Quantocks in Somerset to carry toads, frogs and newts over the road.

The group is part of the Friends of the Quantocks group and is continuing to help with the crossing this year.

Scott Passmore, who lives in Spaxston and runs the group, said: "We live in the village and this is on our door step. Every year, up to 10,000 animals cross the road and it takes just one car to come down and there's a lot of casualties on the road."

Toads are sitting at the bottom of a bucket. — The group carries the frogs safely over the road

Passmore said the area is "ideal" for toads, with woodland on one side and a reservoir on the other.

"Once they're born in the reservoir, that's where they go back to every year, they go back and forth between land and water," he added.

Passmore added: "My little boy has been doing it since he was two years old. He won't go to bed until he's done his toad patrol and read his book for school."

Betsy is another one of the children taking part in the toad patrol and loves it so much, she got a high-vis vest for Christmas.

She said: "I love it because I feel like we're saving all the animals because otherwise they would get squished."

Maisie is standing in the dark wearing a Lana Del Ray shirt and high-vis jacket. She has long, dyed hair. — Maisie said helping the toads makes her feel good

Maisie, 19, has been taking part in the patrol for the past three years.

"It's just really rewarding and makes you feel better about yourself, offering to help these toads cross the road when there's just a bit of road built on their road," Maisie said.

"They can't really help themselves. It makes you feel nice because you're out in nature and connecting to nature."

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