Toad hunters offered beer bounty

[janbo1960]

The country's biggest hotel owner says he would be willing to shout patrons two beers, in exchange for a bag of cane toads, to help rid the country of the pests.

Cairns-based millionaire Tom Hedley says anyone willing to front up to the RSPCA with a bag of toads will receive the free beer at his pub at Redlynch in Cairns.

A similar scheme exists in Darwin, where drinkers are issued with beer vouchers in exchange for toads.

Mr Hedley says a mate suggested the idea.

"A gentleman called me and said would I be prepared to sort of shout a beer," he said.

"I said I'd shout two if it meant we had a bag of toads handed over to the RSPCA because they're sort of everywhere and they're not much good for the environment."

The RSPCA's spokesman Michael Beatty says while he supports the move, the hotel would probably need more funding and a bigger freezer to cope with the extra demand.

[IRiSHMaFIA]

I know a lot will think I'm a nutjob for saying this but I feel sorry for the toads. I've actually read about them in Australia and know they've become real pests and also dangerous because they're so poisonous, but still they're a living creature and it's a shame that they're bagged and squashed and all that.

I don't know if they'd really be bad for the environment because all nature has a balance. They eat insects of all sorts and that's basically what other creatures and insects do to keep a balance, but I understand how people would want rid of them because of their large numbers.

I think a lot of this drink being offered is going to cause some businesses some trouble. They lay thousands of eggs and there's not a chance they can keep up with it.

Wasn't there a problem with rabbits in Australia at one time as well?

[janbo1960]

Yes we had rabbits everywhere - they released a virus that killed most of them.

They do however cull - kangaroos, koalas, galahs (like parrots), wild horses and sorts of anaimals!!

[janbo1960]

Massive cane toad found on Darwin golf course
Monsoon rains in Darwin in the Northern Territory have flushed out a cane toad the size of a dinner plate.

The grounds keeper at the city's Gardens Golf Course arrived early this morning to discover a toad so big it that fills the bottom of a bucket.

Golf course spokeswoman Maureen O'Sullivan says the grounds keeper could not believe how much bigger they grow in the NT.

"Phillip lived in Queensland for many, many years and he says he has never seen one as big as this one," he said.

"He was astounded at his find. He couldn't believe his eyes actually. He said he's just never ever seen one as big."

The toad is the first to be found on the golf course, but the groundskeeper says he does not think it will be the last.

Weighing almost half-a-kilogram, the toad was found to be carrying 30,000 eggs when it was captured.

The 15-centimetre toad was out on the green early this morning when the groundskeeper found it on the back nine.

Groundskeeper Phillip, who does not want his surname used, says he took swift action.

"We just had to put him out of his misery, that's all," he said.

Frogwatch spokesman Graeme Sawyer says a preferable solution is to bring the toad into their collection bins.

He says it is lucky the toad was caught before it spawned.

"She's still got her eggs on board and she probably would've dropped 30,000 eggs in the next two weeks," he said.

Mr Sawyer says toad control programs have been very effective at preventing the frontline marching through Darwin's urban area.

"It's shown so far that we've made an amazing difference," he said.

"I mean you've only got to go down the track outside the rural area where toads have had no control work done on them and no people actively working against them and the densities are just amazing.

"A place like the Gardens golf links complex down here, if we hadn't got all those toads out of the gardens last year there'd be literally thousands of cane toads around this golf course now and there's only one."

[IRiSHMaFIA]

[faceless]

Maybe they should introduce a natural predator to the area in order to cut the numbers naturally? I suggest the French.

[IRiSHMaFIA]

[janbo1960]

[IRiSHMaFIA]

Oh man this reminds me of your hols! ....erm no that was Germany wasn't it?