Tens of millions of red crabs begin annual migration on Christmas Island

A young boy walks among red crabs during their annual migration on Christmas Island, Australia (Parks Australia via AP)

Tens of millions of red crabs are making their way to the ocean as part of their annual migration on Christmas Island, where a much smaller human population uses leaf blowers and garden rakes to help them on their way.

Christmas Island National Park acting manager Alexia Jankowski said on Thursday there were up to 200 million of the endemic crabs, also known as Gecarcoidea natalis, on the tiny Australian island territory in the Indian Ocean.