New, special tunnels have been built to protect a proudly South African toad from traffic threats! Now, the endangered Western Leopard Toads have their own safety route.
Cape Town, South Africa (04 August, 2023) — Nature Connect and the City of Cape Town have teamed to help protect endangered toads from road and traffic threats with a special tunnel project.
If you didn’t know, Western Leopard Toads are proudly South African; found only in the Western Cape. This makes them an important part of local conservation efforts, especially given their endangered status.
While Leopard Toads face a lot of nemeses in the big urban world (swimming pools and water pollution, to name a few) road traffic is one of their biggest threats.
As the Leopard Toads migrate for breeding season, threats on the road become even more serious.
So, in an effort to up their protection COCT and Nature Connect have implemented the Western Leopard Toad Underpass Project which has seen multiple tunnels installed underneath roads the toads frequent!
Six have been completed along Peninsula Road already, right on time for August’s breeding season.
“The Western Leopard Toad is what one calls a flagship conservation species, and the plight of these charismatic animals helps to focus attention on the need for a healthy Cape Town biodiversity and well-functioning wetlands, which is key for the City as we work hard to conserve wildlife in our urban environment,” said Alderman Eddie Andrews, the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayco Member for Spatial Planning and Environment.
This is an awesome initiative to protect the toad Capetionians; clearing a safer future for them that may one day lead to the day they’re no longer an endangered species. Still, be mindful of spotting a roaming toad on the road!
Meanwhile in other awesome animal news further up the continent, a cheetah was spotted for the first time in 30 years in Djibouti!
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