Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Environmental barbarians?

POISONOUS CANE TOAD: Marching on. PHOTO AFP

An Australian state government called for the army to be deployed against an invasion of toxic toads, as battalions of imported cane toads marched relentlessly across northern Australia. The West Australian government wanted soldiers to intercept the environmental barbarians. State Environment Minister Mark McGowan has written to the Defence Minister Brendan Nelson asking permission to use soldiers based in the neighbouring Northern Territory to kill the toads. Cane toads have poisonous sacs on the back of their heads full of a venom so powerful it can kill crocodiles, snakes or other predators in minutes. All attempts to fight the spread of the toads so far have failed.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail