Have you ever seen a western leopard toad? The species, endemic to the Western Cape, signifies a balanced ecosystem. But these cold-blooded creatures are struggling to survive. The toads need to travel long distances to their wetland breeding grounds. This means crossing roads through industrial developments where their path turns into a bloodbath. Being flattened by vehicles has led to the species becoming one of South Africa’s most endangered amphibians. Fortunately, Suzie J’kul is on the move to protect them.
“I realised that there was no turning back on the western leopard toad the first time I picked one up,” she says. J’kul formed a volunteer assembly in the Cape Peninsula to search for and rescue the endangered toads. Her troupe grew into Toad NUTS. This conservation group patrols the streets during the breeding season in winter to ensure the safety of the crossing toads. They’ve implemented barrier systems on main roads where buckets catch the amphibians to be freed later. “It is important that we do this because if we don’t, nobody will,” J’kul says.
Her project aims to educate as well as protect. Toad NUTS presented their cause at the 2016 Infra Eco Network Europe international conference on transport and ecology, as well as on local television shows 50/50 and Carte Blanche. The NGO’s raised awareness and continuous exertion has protected the lives of many amphibians. “Everyday citizens just like myself are empowered to save every single toad,” J’kul says. Going out of your way to help something smaller than yourself can have a grand impact.
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