Concerns about the deaths of a large number of frogs around the duck pond at the Mall Park in Longford are being allayed by a wildlife expert this evening.
People using the Albert Reynolds Peace Park on a regular basis had registered their concern today at seeing the bodies of a large number of dead frogs strewn along the path and grass immediately surrounding the small pond in the park.
There was no evident sign as to why the frogs had died in such large numbers around the pond but a volunteer with the Herpetological Society of Ireland says it's likely they were picked off by predators as they gathered in large numbers to mate in the water.
Rob O' Sullivan from the voluntary society who try to educate the public and use citizen science to help protect various species in in the country, says that a mass death of frogs is not an unusual sight.
He says it can actually be a positive sign as it usually means that hundreds more have successfully mated.
