Tool for the shrubco arsenal?

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Aussies deploy toad-blasting audio killing machine

 

By Lester Haines

7th February 2005

 

An enterprising Australian reckons he has found an

answer to the plague of poisonous cane toads which is

marching its way inexorably across Oz, according to a

transcript

(http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2005/s1293778.htm)

of an ABC Radio National broadcast last week.

 

The cane toad was introduced into Australia from

Hawaii in the 1930s to fight the spread of cane

beetles.

Since then, it has advanced across the

in-this-case-not-so-Lucky Country at up to 30 miles

per year while swelling its population to 100m

individuals.

 

Northern Territory inventor Andrew Arthur recently

tested his " toad-blaster " audio Pied Piper - which

broadcasts the cane toad breeding call, thereby luring

the little blighters to their deaths - outside the

Territory's parliament.

Asked the reason for this unusual field trial, Arthur

noted: " Oh, I see a lot of similarities in behaviour

between toads and politicians, and the idea was, would

it actually attract politicians, and it did. "

 

The toad-blaster appears to be a simple amp and

speakers set-up with a range of several miles.

Arthur explained: " I'd see it working most effective

on the front line, where the toads are crossing ridge

lines, looking for places to breed.

This call comes out, the toads would think oh, this

toad has got a great place to breed, let's go there.

And then you could use fence lines or traps to, yeah,

it could be a march of death. "

 

Whether Arthur's toad-blaster eventually proves

effective in the war on the killer amphibans remains

to be seen.

In the meantime, over-zealous Aussies around Darwin

have been indulging in the local sport of squashing

cane toads with their cars.

We say over-zealous because, sadly, they have in the

process mistakenly totalled several benign native

giant frogs.

 

The Australian reports that cane toads have just

begun to menace Darwin - a pathfinding toad was

recently spotted less than 40km from the city,

presaging an imminent attack in force. However,

frogwatchers have dismissed a report of the

elimination of 30 vanguards 6km east of Darwin River

as a bit of " blue-on-blue " which has lamentably

resulted in 30 less giant frogs to grace the Outback.

 

FrogWatch co-ordinator Graeme Sawyer said: " We don't

believe the cane toad has reached that area yet. There

is a problem with people running over the giant frog

with their cars. They tend to sit by the side of the

road and they look like cane toads.

People think they are killing a pest but they need to

be careful and make sure it is a toad. These native

frogs are common but we don't want people wiping them

out. "

 

Accordingly, FrogWatch is launching a " know your

enemy " poster campaign to alert locals as to the

difference between large friendly frogs and big bad

toads. ®

 

© Copyright 2006