Plague of 50 MILLION cannibal crabs shut down roads

 

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 THIS is the jaw-dropping moment a "biblical plague" of 50 million crabs heads to the ocean to breed.

The swarm of cannibalistic critters shut down roads from the jungle to the coast on Christmas Island off Western Australia.

Unbelievable footage shows the bright-red creatures descending on townships in what is considered one of the greatest animal migrations on the planet.

Every year, an estimated 50 million crabs make their way from the forest after rainfall in October or November and head to the ocean to mate.

The crabs generally eat leaves, fruits, flowers and seeds but have a dark side that sees them eat their young.

• The crabs' cannibalistic side comes out when babies returning from their first ocean migration are feasted on by adults as part of their diet.

Their journey takes them through residential areas and tourist hotspots throughout the spring and summer months.

Photos and video shared by Parks Australia show thousands upon thousands of crabs scurrying across roads and specially-constructed bridges.