Patrol takes a load off the toad crossing road

15 hours ago

Kate TebbyWest Midlands

Kat Edwards-White (left) is one of nearly 40 volunteers to support the group set up by Rosie Whicker (right)

BBC A woman with a black hat and black coat alongside a woman with long blonde hair and glasses. Both are wearing yellow reflective jackets — Kat Edwards-White (left) is one of nearly 40 volunteers to support the group set up by Rosie Whicker (right)

Why did the toad cross the road? Well, while the animal in the age-old question may have changed, the answer is still the same - to get to the other side, of course.

The thing is, they sometimes need a helping hand to get there. And that is where Wilderley Toad Patrol comes in.

The group of volunteers in Dorrington, Shropshire, says in the last week alone it has helped more than 300 toads across a country lane where they may otherwise have croaked it.

The helpers go out every evening with buckets, scooping up the animals to get them to safety. "For so many years we've gone past this road at night and we've seen so many squashed toads," lamented Rosie Whicker, who brought the group together.

When she realised it was not a job she and her mother could do by themselves, she contacted the wildlife charity Froglife for help, and also looked to recruit local people to the cause.

She said it had been "amazing" to see nearly 40 members of the public sign up to support her.

The toads are collected up in buckets and helped across the road

Five green toads of different sizes in a black bucket — The toads are collected up in buckets and helped across the road

Among the volunteers to come to their aid was Laura Edwards-White from the Rea Valley Community Wildlife Group.

She said she saw a message on Facebook advertising the toad patrol and "just couldn't help it".

"You forget, I think, that when you were a child this is what you did, you picked up toads and you picked up frogs and had a look," she explained.

"As an adult, you've forgotten how to do that, so it's a real privilege to get up close and personal to them now."

Kat Edwards-White, the secretary of the group, added: "It's fantastic and you get to pick them up, put them in the bucket, take them to the pond, it's a good experience."

The group goes out at night, looking for the toads with the aid of torches

Four people, two in reflective jackets, all carrying torches on a narrow lane at night — The group goes out at night, looking for the toads with the aid of torches

Whicker said warmer conditions recently were ideal for toads and she expected to see many more attempt to cross the road in a bid to get from one field to another.

She said she had learnt the "hot-spots" where they liked to cross.

"Our job is to walk slowly up and down the road, shining the torches and looking for their bright little eyes and then saving them," she added.

Kat Edwards-White said: "When you get a bucket full of males, they're quite vocal."

Whicker said since starting the patrols she has had conversations with motorists, who had promised to look out for the toads.

"The word is getting around," she said.

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