Kill or Cultivate?

Image care of kimberleypage.com.au

There has been much debate over the years of the best way to control our cane toad population. The Australian Government has in the past attempted to address such issues by creating toad viruses for example, but such measures threatened to cross the species barrier, and became an issue for the limited but indigenous predators of the toad.

There has also been much debate whether it is even at all possible to rid Australia of toads. Since their introduction, in some cases toads have now become part of the ecosystem and their complete removal would again imbalance insect and bug levels.

There is wide belief and opinion that the best approach is to act sustainably and promote a more diverse ecosystem. Particularly in urban areas, toads have adapted extremely well, happily living in backyards, crossing roads, and even eating dog or cat food. Unfortunately Australia’s native frog species aren’t so.

By attempting to create frog friendly environment in your backyard or school for example, you are encouraging native insects and frogs to make a new home. The toads might not want to move out, but by creating something as easy as a frog pond, native frogs will have a habitat that encourages breeding.

We need to cultivate biodiversity, not kill animals on a large scale!

Exclusion methods are also believed to help in reducing the migration of cane toads. To exclude toads, an inexpensive product such as shade cloth can be attached to existing fencing, or new smaller fences created to protect particular areas such as pools, pet areas and children's play areas.

Image care of Stop the Toad Organisation

There are multiple organisations across Australia that are centred on toad issues. As an example, take a look at the Western Australian organisation ‘Stop the Toad’ and their website: stopthetoad.org.au

This has useful information on cane toads, national eradication programs, petitions, funding and support, and links to other toad action sites. Of particular interest is their information sheet 'Cane Toad Proof Your Backyard' on how to exclude toads from your property, see http://www.stopthetoad.org.au/publications/toad_proof_your_property.pdf