In the battle against invasive species, Australians are known for their ingenuity and determination. One such example is the story of 29-year-old Cassie Fenton, who has taken a unique approach to combat the spread of one of the country’s most notorious pests.
Cane toads, with their warty skin and toxic glands, have been a blight on the Australian landscape since their introduction in 1935. Originally brought in to control pest beetles in sugar cane crops, this well-intentioned move quickly turned into an ecological disaster. The toads not only failed to control the beetles but also began to spread rapidly, outcompeting and poisoning native wildlife with their lethal toxin.
Cassie, a Sunshine Coast resident, was shocked by the number of cane toads on her property and decided to take action. Armed with tongs and a black bin bag, she embarked on nightly hunts, capturing the toads with her ‘dedicated toad tongs’ and placing them into a container. In just 12 nights, she removed an impressive 214 cane toads from her backyard, highlighting both the scale of the problem and her determination to address it.
Her method of dealing with the captured toads is as humane as it is effective. Following the RSPCA’s guidelines, Cassie uses a stepped hypothermia process to euthanise the toads. This involves first placing them in a refrigerator at four degrees Celsius to anaesthetise them, followed by a transfer to a freezer at -20 degrees for at least 24 hours to painlessly end their lives. She also experimented with ‘HopStop’, a product available at Bunnings that quickly kills cane toads upon direct application.
Understanding the importance of keeping her food separate from the toxic toads, Cassie ingeniously purchased a second-hand fridge and freezer for just $50 from Facebook Marketplace. This dedicated appliance ensures that her efforts to control the toad population don’t interfere with her household.
Cane toads are a relentless force, moving across the country at an estimated rate of 40 to 60 kilometres per year. With authorities doubting the likelihood of finding a broad-scale control method, individual efforts like Cassie’s become all the more vital. Every action taken to protect vulnerable native species from these invaders is a step towards preserving Australia’s unique biodiversity.
Cassie’s story offers a thoughtful reminder of how individual actions can make a difference, even in the face of persistent challenges like invasive species. While solutions to large-scale environmental issues are often complex, small efforts in local communities remain valuable.
Have you encountered cane toads or other invasive species in your area? What steps, if any, have you taken to manage them, or what local efforts have you seen? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
I use the same methods as Cassie, I don’t like cane toads, but I don’t like to hear about people laughingly saying they use them like golf balls.