Village patrol help toads from croaking while crossing road

GROUP ENSURING AMPHIBIAN SAFETY DURING BUSY BREEDING SEASON

- By JOSEPH BICKLE

A VOLUNTEER group has formed in the Surrey village of Pirbright with the aim of protecting the area’s local amphibian population, which make a dangerous road crossing every evening while travelling from one habitat to another.

Vapery Lane, in Pirbright, becomes the setting of a mass toad migration every evening during breeding season, as the toads travel between the marshlands and streams on either side of the road.

The journey is often some toads’ last, as drivers fail to see the small amphibians on the road, crushing them as they drive past.

Paul Baker, who formed the “toad patrol” group in village, began his mission to save the area’s amphibians back in 2020 during the first Covid lockdown.

He said during breeding season, which begins in mid-January and ends in March, he used to witness dozens of dead toads on the road every evening.

He said: “It was in the 2020s lockdown when I was walking around the area more than normal when I noticed how many (toad) casualties there were. I decided then to try and save their lives and also remove the bodies.

“I used to cover 350 metres of the lane by myself and they would just sit on the road croaking.