February 25, 2017
Ireland

Bizarre mass exodus of amphibians

Dónal Nolan | The Kerryman | February 25 2017 | www.independent.ie

Hundreds of frogs, newts and lizards are on the move in North Kerry in a bizarre plague-like scene playing out in gardens, and on roads where they’re being killed by cars in big numbers.

The little creatures began appearing in the community of Beale last week, making their way across farmland and roads and coming to the attention of locals as they invaded gardens and got killed on roads.

People initially put the behaviour down to the wet weather as they began noticing frogs in their gardens, but within days it became clear something much stranger was going on than simply a spike in the frog population. That sense of the strange was heightened as massive numbers of ordinarily elusive lizards began appearing hot on the heels of the frogs days later.

But locals aren’t looking too far for an explanation, believing work associated with a windfarm under development nearby the cause. They say a massive volume of peat bog was moved on the site last week, and believe the frogs and lizards had to flee for their lives. But they’re also fearful the influx might represent a warning from nature following the massive bog slide in the Stacks Mountains some years ago, caused by windfarm development.

“When we saw the dead frogs on the road we realised something strange was happening.

“Also hundreds of little lizards started appearing all around the place,” local woman Cyedonia Rice told The Kerryman of the bizarre scenes in her community this week.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2017/02/25/bizarre-mass-exodus-of-amphibians/