When a north Armidale resident was mowing her lawn on Sunday, and was approaching a "lump of brown stuff" on the ground with the mower that looked like something a dog might have left - until it hopped away.
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The resident thought it was a cane toad, so she caught it and put it into her freezer. The specimen has since been positively identified as a cane toad by the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), thus confirming her suspicion.
Local Land Services Northern Tablelands Armidale (LLS) emergency management coordinator Phoebe Haslett said hopefully the toad was a one off visitor to this region.
"You sometimes find single specimens get carried into an area on a motor vehicle," she said.
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It would not be the first time a toad has hitch-hiked to Armidale. Reports of these particular "northern visitors" go back a decade or so, when one was found in the car park of the Armidale Golf Club.
This find just happened to coincide with the recent release of a report into controlling the spread of cane toads by the House Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy. It was an inquiry focused on the effectiveness of current control measures, and options for additional support to combat the problem.
Committee chair Dr David Gillespie said there was no easy solution.
"Cane toads are firmly established in Australia and we are unlikely to get rid of them entirely. What we can do is work to limit their numbers where they have already invaded, and prevent their spread into the places they have not reached," he said.
The committee urged the Federal Government to play a stronger leadership role in funding and coordinating measures to control the spread of cane toads.
"At the same time, the Federal Government can't do it all alone," Dr Gillespie said.
"State and Territory governments are at the frontline of action against cane toads, and all levels of government can do better to ensure effective strategies and coordinated efforts."
The report stated that biological and genetic research had the potential to provide larger-scale responses in the medium to long-term, and recommended support for ongoing research. A copy of the report and further information can be found on the inquiry website here.
Northern Tablelands Local Land Services will be conducting surveillance tonight and tomorrow night, March 27-28, around Jubilee Street in Armidale and in nearby parks and waterways to check whether there are any more cane toads in the area, including tadpoles.
The LLS has called on the Armidale community to help check for toads and report possible sightings. The best time to look is on warm, rainy nights, however you can also look in places they may shelter in during the day or cool weather.
Cane Toads prefer open, disturbed habitats close to water including; around sprinklers, taps, ponds, air conditioners, drains, dams, riverbanks, cleared areas, and golf courses. They are often found on roads, footpaths and walking tracks, particularly if they are lit up at night as light attracts insects that toads feed on.
They are also often found in drainpipes, crevices between rocks, hollows under trees, leaf litter or dense vegetation on the ground. They will always be close to the ground because toads don't climb or jump higher than 50 cm.
If you think you have spotted a Cane Toad, follow these steps:
- Always wear protective gloves and eyewear when handling potential cane toads. They exude (and sometimes squirt) poison from glands positioned behind the head.
- The animal should be collected and held in a closed, well-ventilated, non-toxic container, with some water.
- Don't harm the animal until it is confirmed to be a Cane Toad as we don't want to harm native frogs.
- Photograph the animal and report it to NSW DPI using the online reporting form www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/sighting
