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Tens of Millions of Red Crabs Launch Early Migration on Christmas Island

Officials say up to 100 million will reach the coast after the first wet-season rains, with spawning forecast for mid-November.

Overview

  • Park managers report the rains last weekend triggered the island‑wide march, which has begun earlier than usual this year.
  • Authorities estimate the island hosts as many as 200 million red crabs, with roughly half expected to travel from forest burrows to the shoreline.
  • Residents and park staff use rakes and leaf blowers to clear roads, and some roads are temporarily closed or fitted with crab bridges to reduce deaths.
  • Males reach the coast first to dig burrows, females incubate eggs, and mass egg release is expected at high tide on November 14–15 tied to lunar cycles.
  • Officials credit a microwasp that reduced yellow crazy ants for a population rebound from about 55 million in the early 2000s to roughly 100 million or more.