Each year, hundreds of thousands of toadlets migrate from Summit Lake, cross a deadly highway, and make their way to the forested upland habitat.
While the BC Ministry of Transportation has build a “toad tunnel” to help the little amphibians find safe passage, many still end up hopping across the highway, dodging traffic, or succumbing to the dangers of the road.
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Each year the village of Nakusp attracts visitors to its Toad Fest, where people are invited to help volunteers scoop up the Western Toads and ensure their safe crossing.
This year, Toad Fest happened at the end of July, but the toadlets were not ready to cross.
WATCH: Unusual year at Summit Lake Toad Fest
Now, more than a month later, the migration is underway.
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The toads are loved by many in the Nakusp area, but they are also a source of discord.
Plans to harvest the forest, which is owned by the community of Nakusp, is pitting loggers against environmentalists.
WATCH: Toads causing rift in village of Nakusp
Western Toad survival rates are already dismal. According to the B.C. Frogwatch Program, fewer than one per cent of the eggs laid by a female Western Toad will reach adulthood.
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