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Images of the millions of red crabs crossing the roads of Christmas Island have traveled the world. Here’s the story behind this migration, and how the locals are trying to protect them …
Red crabs live most of the year in the forest in central Christmas Island. But once a year, they must return to their roots, the ocean, to reproduce. This year again, this gave rise to images that went around the world. We see hundreds of thousands of crabs on their journey. To preserve as many crabs as possible during their migration, many roads are closed. Also, an army of volunteers and National Park employees sweep the crabs off the road in front of the cars as they pass.
Small crabs don’t just populate the roads. They are also embedded in various places such as bakeries or other businesses. Some residents even find them in their bed or in their shower.
Despite the many precautions taken by the inhabitants of the island, the crabs are confronted with many obstacles such as large lawns that can lead to their dehydration or the big predators of the oceans.
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