Tallinn helps frogs to migrate to their spring breeding grounds
Text Johanna Heinonen Photo Susanna Poikela
The City of Tallinn has closed part of Astangu Street to traffic until 2 May. The road is closed between 21:00 and 5:00. The ban is to ensure the spring migration of frogs to their breeding grounds.
The Astangu residential area is one of the largest amphibian habitats in Estonia. Four different frog species live in the area, and in the spring, thousands of frogs and newts migrate from their wintering grounds to the ponds along the street to breed.
“Closing the street at night helps frogs to cross the road safely. Without these measures, many animals could die, even if traffic is light,” says Meelis Uustal, department head at Tallinn’s Environmental Administration.
The frogs’ migration usually takes place in April–May. It is at its busiest late in the evening, around 22–23:00. Over the past nine years, volunteers have also been helping the animals cross the street. In the future, there are plans to build underground tunnels in the area for the frogs to use.
At the same time, the city of Tallinn has begun to improve the living conditions of the frogs, because although there are many animals, their reproductive success has been poor. Last year, ponds were restored by clearing thickets and cleaning the bottoms, which immediately increased the number of tadpoles. Restoration work will continue this year in the Paljassaare conservation area, Harku forest, and Merimetsä, among others. More cleaning is planned in the autumn to improve water quality and habitats.
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Astangu
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