There are many reasons for a road to be closed. Construction and events are the most common. We see signs for deer crossing, watch for children, and signs to be careful because of a blind person, but have you ever seen a sign for toads crossing. Well that is exactly why this road in London was closed.
In London, there is a specific time every year that toads cross the roads to a pond where they breed. Every year around late January through March these toads breed. In London, there has been a road that was closed due to the toads for about 1 whole month.
The road, which is about 1,300 feet long, is occupied by volunteers that call themselves ‘toad patrol’. They are there to make sure no cars go past the road signs or around the blocked area. They make sure that the toads are not getting squished by local motorists.
The ‘toad patrol’ is there every day and night to watch the roads. The road remains blocked during the day and night with people watching it. So it is nearly impossible to take a car, bike, or motorcycle along the road. Locals have been loving this and are super excited about it.
Froglife, a charity, stated that this is one of many rads in London that are being completely blocked off to help save the migrating toads crossing the road. The road blocking started on March 7th and will be finished on April 1st.
This all started in 2010 when local pedestrians came together and wrote a paper to the town council worried about the toads getting killed during their annual migration. So in response they decided to completely shut down the roads where these toads were crossing.
Over time this became an amusement to the locals every year. People would go to the road and take pictures with all of the toads to show their families and friends. Robert Brown, a local pedestrian, stated, “I think it is fantastic. To have that amount of consideration for toads I think is incredible. I have never actually seen any toads and only once saw someone we thought might be a volunteer, but I think it is great… It is a very British thing to do.” This is a great thing to do and a great way to help preserve the toads in London.
