Frogs Were Getting Slaughtered on a Road. Enter the Frog Patrol
AP Photo/Claudia Ciobanu
On rainy spring evenings in a forest west of Warsaw, a group of local volunteers known as the “Frog Patrol” heads out to help frogs and toads survive a dangerous part of their seasonal journey. The effort takes place in Mlochowski Forest, about 19 miles from the Polish capital, where thousands of amphibians awaken each spring as temperatures rise and begin moving toward nearby marshes to reproduce.
The trip is not easy, especially for the females. Male toads often cling tightly to the backs of the larger females as they travel, making the journey even more demanding for the females that carry them. For generations, frogs and toads have made this migration to the same marshes to mate. But about a decade ago, a road was built directly across their path, turning the crossing into a deadly obstacle.
According to Lukasz Franczuk, who coordinates the Frog Patrol program, the situation was heartbreaking only a few years ago. Large numbers of amphibians were being crushed by vehicles as they attempted to cross the road. Franczuk recalled that the scale of the deaths was overwhelming, with hundreds or even thousands of frogs killed. Drivers could see the remains of the animals along the road, and people who tried to rescue those still alive often became emotional after witnessing the destruction.
Three years ago, Franczuk and others decided to organize a response. Volunteers now gather on rainy evenings at the start of spring, when amphibians typically migrate because the moisture keeps their skin from drying out. Equipped with reflective yellow vests labeled “Frog Patrol,” headlamps, gloves, and buckets, the volunteers spread out along the road to pick up frogs and toads and carry them safely across to the marshes.
The effort has drawn strong support from the local community. Families frequently come out together, including children, to help move the amphibians away from traffic. Participants walk along the narrow road in the rain, collecting frogs from the roadside and carefully transporting them to the other side.
Katarzyna Jacniacka, who has taken part in the patrols, said the community involvement is striking. She described seeing parents and children out together in the rain wearing reflective jackets and carrying buckets while they work to move frogs across the road safely. During the migration season, she said, the area becomes busy with volunteers helping the animals complete their journey.
Since the initiative began, residents estimate they have helped about 18,000 amphibians survive the crossing.
Scientists say the effort plays an important role in protecting the local ecosystem. Krzysztof Klimaszewski, a biologist at the Institute of Animal Sciences at Warsaw SGGW University who has participated in several patrols, said the volunteer work is vital because it helps preserve the local amphibian population.
Similar efforts are taking place in other parts of the world as communities try to protect migrating amphibians from traffic.
In New Hampshire, volunteers working with the Harris Center for Conservation Education assist frogs, salamanders, and other amphibians by guiding them safely across roads during migration periods.
In Bavaria, Germany, conservation volunteers with BUND Naturschutz report rescuing up to 700,000 amphibians each year, including frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders.
In southern France, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, volunteers have installed roadside nets designed to catch frogs before they wander into traffic.
Authorities in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, have also taken action. In early April, officials announced plans to build additional frog fences along migration routes to guide amphibians and other animals toward underground tunnels, helping them cross safely beneath busy roads.
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