Toad patrol on hold due to lack of amphibians

Tree felling operation at Monikie blamed for destroying important habitat

A tree felling operation at a former curling pond in Monikie has been blamed for wiping out a population of amphibians.

A toad patrol which up until now has saved thousands of creatures every year during spawning season has now been stood down after countryside rangers declared there was “little point” in continuing.

In a fresh twist, it has now emerged the site owners have applied for their company to be struck off and dissolved after being hit with a 10-year enforcement notice.

Angus South SNP MSP Graeme Dey said: “These figures are proof of the impact that the act of environmental vandalism which occurred at the pond has had.

“It wasn’t just an amenity woodland that was decimated but the biodiversity the site supported.”

Forestry Commission Scotland previously said the operational works undertaken at the site in January by Ayrshire-based Avancan Property Management were “exceptional” and likely to have had “significant effects on the environment”.

The firm was told to prepare a 10-year plan of maintenance measures to restore the land and replant trees in response to an enforcement notice by Forestry Commission Scotland following its investigation.

Monikie Country Park countryside ranger Tim Caselton said there have been good numbers of toads and frogs spawning at nearby Crombie Country Park.

He said: “I think it would be safe to say we are not going to see any amphibian surge to our pond.

“With so few animals being rescued off the road by our volunteers compared to previous years’ numbers I am sad to say it is increasingly looking like the devastation of the curling pond has wiped out our local population of amphibians that use the Denfind pond for spawning.

“As a result there seems little point in the rangers continuing to patrol the site.”

The toad patrol would have been officially reinstated if volunteers observed a sudden increase in amphibian movement.

But resident patrollers said it looks as if around 200 have been collected “if we are lucky”.

In the two previous years there were 1,197 and 1,171 collected.

Avancan director Billy Mcteir, who previously denied the work had caused a significant impact on amphibians, said he could not comment as the matter is in the hands of the company’s lawyers.

gstrachan@thecourier.co.uk

Picture: Paul Reid. Churned up earth at the former curling pond.