Cassandra McKenna, a Torrington resident, doesn’t have a pool, but her friends do and sometimes they get uninvited guests.
“They used to have a lot of chipmunks that would end up being wildlife casualties in their pool,” McKenna said.
Small animals like frogs, chipmunks, and squirrels that have gotten into pools can end up drowning if they can’t find an exit.
That’s why Torrington has installed a wildlife escape ramp at its public pool.
Scott Connor, facilities manager at Torrington, says while the pool is located near a pond with frogs, the pool is fenced in and uphill from the pond.
“We just thought more on a proactive side and in case we do start having a problem, let's prevent it before it even happens,” Connor said.
The town is believed to be the first in Connecticut to install an wildlife escape ramp in a municipal pool.
The ramp costs approximately $25 and was donated by McKenna.
McKenna approached Torrington’s conservation commission about installing an escape ramp in July and offered to donate a ramp made by FrogLog, a small business in Maryland created by former wildlife biologist Rich Mason.
“It's basically an inflatable platform and it has a mesh fabric ramp that they can climb out of. So when the animals are swimming along the edge of the pool, they'll kind of look for the exit and if they bump into the FrogLog, then it's an easy way to get out,” McKenna said.
Torrington life guards will collect data next year to make sure the ramp is keeping frogs and other animals safe, according to Connor.
Áine Pennello is a Report for America corps member, covering the environment and climate change for Connecticut Public
