By Rod Benson
As a child, I lived for six years in the tropics, where the cane toad was almost as common as the Aussie blow fly. I never expected to hear of cane toads colonising Sydney. But that’s exactly what they’re doing, at Taren Point in Sutherland Shire, and no doubt in other locations.
Scientists think the cane toads may have hopped off a container ship, but they’ve been here a while and they can survive a Sydney winter. Millions of dollars have been spent unsuccessfully trying to eradicate these pests, which are slowly making their way south and west from their stronghold in Queensland.
They might not be in your back yard, but they will be soon. It’s a sober reminder of what can happen when we tinker with nature’s balance. And of course we humans are the most invasive and destructive of all species, on a planetary scale.
Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, Sunday 9 May 2010.
I sent in about 30 to 35 ideas to the Cane Toad Abatement Plan.
I have to wait for the June 16, 2010 deadline before I could find out if the team is using my ideas. I am anxiously waiting to see the responses. I hope any Au interest for catching crocs more safely and inexpensively.
From Canada Kenneth Hilliam writekenneth@hotmail.com