Play was disrupted at the prestigious Open Championship in Britain once again on Saturday. But instead of contending with oil protesters this time, the golfers had to halt all play when a new trespasser appeared on the green: a tiny endangered toad. The natterjack toad is one of Britain’s rarest amphibians who happened to appear at Royal Liverpool’s 13th green. This led to a delay in proceedings amid the third round. Usually, if an animal makes an appearance on the golf course, players are allowed to move animals that are “touching or near their ball without penalty.” But because the natterjack toad is a protected species, only one trained member of the club’s staff was able to handle it. Under the United Kingdom’s 1981 Wildlife and Countryside act, no one can “intentionally or recklessly disturb natterjack toads while they occupy a structure or place used for protection.” Eventually, the one individual on site who was licensed to handle the amphibian helped the toad off the course so that play could be resumed.
