It’s that time of year again. The annual red crab migration has begun on Australia’s Christmas Island.
Every summer, around 100 million crabs march from the forests to the beaches to lay their eggs. During the heat of the day, they seek shade, but at dawn and dusk, they make the dash for the shores.
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The female crabs are all expected to release their spawn into the ocean at high tide on November 14th or 15th.
There are now more crabs than people on Christmas Island, thanks to scientists introducing a tiny microwasp that helped control the invasive yellow crazy ants, once the crabs’ biggest threat.
The population boom is great news for conservation, but it also means chaos for locals who use leaf blowers, rakes, and even makeshift crab ploughs to clear paths through the crustacean crowds.