CANE TOADS MADE INTO SAUSAGES TO PROTECT WILDLIFE

Cane toads are predicted to be on the rise in the Kimberley region due to the floods and will create harmful impacts to other wildlife.

The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions have made comment to Ngaarda Media.

“DBCA will continue to work with traditional owners and Macquarie University to deliver conditioned taste aversion to native animals to train them not to eat cane toads," DBCA spokesperson said.

This process involves creating sausages made from the skinned back legs of cane toads, mixed with a nausea inducing chemical that will cause animals who eat it to get a little sick.

This experience will not kill the animal but teach it to relate a negative experience to cane toads which will hopefully train animals such as goannas and northern quolls to not eat cane toads before the main toad invasion front arrives.

If predators can learn to avoid can toads before the predicted mass increase in the Kimberley, they can survive the cane toad invasion mixed with other efforts.

For more information visit https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/management/pests-diseases/cane-toads