Christmas Island is an Australian-owned territory, yet it lies closer to the Indonesian island of Java. The remote oceanic island is rich with wildlife. It is home to more species of crabs than any other island, including enormous robber crabs, and is one of the most important sea-bird breeding colonies in the world.
It is also an island in crisis.
Christmas Island is internationally famous for the spectacular annual migration of sixty million red land crabs, from the forest to the ocean to mate and spawn. These red crabs are currently facing an insidious biological invasion of the very worst kind. Super-colonies of yellow crazy ants, originating from Africa, are multiplying at an enormous rate, already wiping out an estimated fifteen million red crabs.
Structured around the crabs’ annual November migration, this film documents the dramatic discovery by scientists and island rangers of the crazy ant catastrophe.
As the red crabs make their epic journey from the rain forest on the top plateau of the island, down through areas of human settlement, across roads where they dodge huge phosphate carrying trucks, the film will introduce the audience to the surreal situations which occur when humans share an island with millions of crabs.
It also introduces characters who have been studying the red crabs of Christmas Island for decades and who are devastated by the crab carnage created by the yellow crazy ants.
It’s difficult to predict how far crazy ants will spread across the island. The future looks bleak but red crabs are resilient and only time will tell.
