Municipality offers toads right of way on local road

VALTHE – The knoflookpad or Garlic Toad, also known as the Common Spadefoot Toad, is a species that experiences numerous casualties while attempting to cross a road near this village. In many areas in the Netherlands nature enthusiasts have adopted colonies of amphibians, taking steps to diminish their casualty rates when crossing roads or highways. The Drenthe municipality of Borger-Odoorn hopes to cut down on the road kill of the local toads by placing an electronically controlled gate across a farmers’ road that is also frequented by tourists and sightseers. At night, when the toads are most vulnerable crossing the road, only local cell-phone equipped farmers who know the code can open the gate from their tractors, all others will then be prevented from using the route.