The toad pull is coming to an end. Thanks to a group of volunteers this year, thousands of amphibians have been able to cross the street safely in Klazienaveen.
Since a few years, volunteers have gathered at Veenvaart at Klazienaveen Noord, to stop amphibians during the annual toad trait.
From the other side located across the street, dozens of amphibians cross the pressure -driven street every year to mate in the Veenvaart. As a result, a lot are driven to death and the population is being thinned more and more over time. That is why initiator Bert Broers decides to set up a ‘mushroom work group’.
With an enthusiastic group of volunteers, toads, frogs and salamanders are collected in buckets, and then safely release them on the other side of the road.
Screens are placed on both sides of the road and pits dug with buckets in it. When the amphibians want to cross, they bump into the scenes. “They can only go to the left or right and kukelen automatically somewhere in a bucket,” explains brothers.
The municipality of Emmen also lends a hand to the organization. “From 7 pm to 7 am we can close the road with gates,” says Broers, “Emergency services such as the police and ambulance know about this.”
The organization also keeps the catch, and it doesn’t lie. This year, 1295 amphibians were imprisoned and deported. The volunteers know exactly: 420 toads, 54 green frogs, 219 brown frogs and 599 salamanders. “There are also two lizards that accidentally ended up in the bucket, safely brought to the other side of the street.”