Australians hunt down toxic toads

BBC ^ | Saturday March 17, 2006 | Phil Mercer

[gondramB]

Residents in Australia's Northern Territory are staging a day of action to stop marauding cane toads.

They are being encouraged to hunt and destroy these toxic pests, which have spread in plague-like numbers across tropical Australia.

The cane toads were introduced from South America 70 years ago in a failed attempt to eradicate cane beetles.

They are big, ugly creatures and their advance has taken them to the outskirts of Darwin.

Residents are being urged to defend the front-line on "Not In My Backyard Day", which is sponsored by the Northern Territory government.

'Flog them'

Federal MP Dave Tollner says that the toads deserve no mercy.

"I suggested that people should hit them with golf clubs or cricket bats or, you know, lumps of wood - whatever was at hand.

The only fun bit about them is squashing them and killing them Schoolgirl

"Other people have suggested that you should put them in a box and then gas them with the exhaust of your car. The RSPCA also suggests chemical euthanasia.

"You know, to me it seems far easier just to flog them over the head with a lump of wood," he says.

The toads have become a serious hazard to local wildlife.

Crocodiles have died after eating their toxic skin, while lizards have been no match for them either.

[gondramB]

""You know, to me it seems far easier just to flog them over the head with a lump of wood," he says."

Do we still have a cabinet opening at interior?

[Supernatural]

Death to the toads! Kill them all!

[gondramB]

There is an interesting thread from about a month ago

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1579244/posts
Toxic Toads Evolving Super-Fast

with this quote " One such biologist was recently driving along a toad-crowded road one night, along the invasion front about 40 miles east of Darwin, when he noticed how desperately the toads were hopping grimly toward him, all facing the same way: into virgin territory.

"It was just like an invasion in a science fiction movie," said biologist Richard Shine of the University of Sydney. "

[Constantine XIII]

Everyone loves Hypnotoad!

[Andy from Beaverton]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mexican_Staring_Frog_of_Southern_Sri_Lanka

[TomGuy]

Isn't that how their dingo population became a problem as well? Weren't dingos introducted to help control the rabbit population? Then they had a problem with overpopulation of dingos.

[R W Reactionairy]

I read the headline and my first thought [honestly] was that Al Franken should stay away from Oz. :-)

[Modok]

Australians are hunting each other down! The whole place is full of "toxic toads."

[ErnBatavia]

That looks like Helen Thomas, only with better makeup...

[Modok]

You just insulted the toad by saying it looks like Helen Thomas. ;)

[Always Learning]

I seem to recall from Australia that this is a pretty strong brew.

[gondramB]

"I seem to recall from Australia that this is a pretty strong brew."

that would be a good name for really strong beer.

[anton]

Where is PETA?

[gondramB]

"Where is PETA?"


Maybe htis finally a species not worth protecting... even the RSPCA is saying "gas them, don't club them."

[ExcursionGuy84]

How'd THAT thing get out of France???

[Always Learning]

In fact, at one place in Australia they told me that there was a limit as to how many of those they could serve to one customer. I was thinking that they might have suggested this because of the way I was acting, but I don't know what would have made them suspicious.

[gondramB]

"How'd THAT thing get out of France???"

That made me think - they should find some part of it that's not poisonous and call it a delicacy and sell it to the French... create a market to thin the heard.

[Kozak]

Where is PETA?

In Davis California....

Toad Tunnel


Davis' Toad Tunnel is a wildlife crossing that was constructed in 1995 and has drawn much attention over the years, including a mention on The Daily Show. Because of the building of an overpass, animal lovers worried about toads being killed by cars commuting from South Davis to North Davis, since the toads hopped from one side of a dirt lot (which the overpass replaced) to the reservoir at the other end. After much controversy, a decision was made to build a toad tunnel, which runs beneath the Pole Line Road overpass which crosses Interstate 80. The project cost $14,000. The tunnel is 21 inches wide and 18 inches high.

The tunnel has created problems of its own. The toads originally refused to use the tunnel and so the tunnel was lighted to encourage its use. The toads then died from the heat of the lamps inside the tunnel. The exit to the toad tunnel has been decorated by the Post-Master to resemble a toad town.

[wideminded]

Weren't dingos introducted to help control the rabbit population?

According to the Wikipedia article on dingos, they most likely arrived in Australia about 3000 B.C.

[wildbill]

I don't think many posters bothered to read the entire article> If they had, they would have seen this recommended "humane" method:

Smear on some hemarrhoid creme which has an anesthetic in it and this will put them to sleep. Then put them in a refridgerator freezer until death occurs.

I have a hard time getting a mental picture of all the many Aussies I've known running around the forest primeval with tubes of hemmorhoid creme searching for frogs to freeze. Do these guys ever read what they write?