Toad Media

MEDIA RELEASE

15 October 2010

FIRST MAJOR HAUL OF TOADS IN THE KIMBERLEY

More than 20,000 toads were destroyed in this year’s annual toad muster in WA’s north. It was the first time this major environmental effort netted a major haul from the Kimberley Region, with more than 60% of the pests caught near Lake Argyle and Carlton Hill Station.

Previous musters over the past four years netted 175,000 toad kills, all of which were recorded in the Northern Territory. It has been recognized that the alien invader crossed the border last year and the high catch rate of the muster identified the toad is well and truly on the move into Western Australia.

The Stop the Toad Foundation (STTF) has held the Great Toad Muster for the past five years. It aims to reduce the number of toads entering WA and this year concentrated on areas of high significance such as National Parks and Nature Reserves.

More than 120 volunteers stepped forward this year to join the unique event.
In its biggest gathering in five years, the Muster attracted participants from around the world. In total they contributed more than 60,000 hours of free labor in the endeavor to control the advance of the noxious pest in areas around the tourist and agricultural town of Kununurra.

“This year we had three base camps with a major effort focused on fencing the Department of Environment and Conservations Point Springs A Class Nature Reserve on Carlton Hill Station,” said STTF Campaign Manager Kim Hands.

She said whilst the work is very tough the sites are very beautiful and volunteers get a close up look at the northern landscape while contributing to protecting WA’s environment.

“Every year we have had volunteers return and we have had members that have participated four years in a row. Volunteers are expected to hunt for toads during the dark hours of the night and participation can include culling, counting, studying and burying the catch. The weather is hot, most days reaching 45 degrees, and this year we had to cope with a lot of unexpected rain, which made conditions even harder.”

“There is no air-conditioning, accommodation is tents and swags and there are all the usual hazards like snakes, mosquitoes, ticks and of course, toads. But, the volunteers are well fed and watered, the views are spectacular and the camaraderie that develops as a result of everyone working toward a common cause is amazing.”

TOAD FENCING GAINS MOMENTUM

In addition to the fencing of Point Springs Nature Reserve, the STTF were recruited to erect fences in critical areas around two major tourist resorts in Kununurra.

Both the Kununurra Country Club Resort and Lakeside Resort have toad proofed their outdoor pool areas in an effort to keep the popular areas totally toad free when toads move into Kununurra in greater numbers.

“We have been using this method in the field for the past three years and found it to be very successful. It can also be used in a domestic setting around your property. There are local residents in Kununurra that currently use it to protect their pets and native wildlife on their property”.

STTF Board member Russell Gueho said “the fencing strategy holds great potential to protect public assets such as water supply dams and areas of high biodiversity. In a broader sense it also holds huge potential to significantly reduce toad populations across Australia.”

The 2010 Muster is largely supported by the Federal Government’s Caring for our Country grants scheme and also by the Western Australian ABN Foundation.

For more information contact STTF’s Campaign Manager Kim Hands on [email protected] or 0400130397.

Fact file

• Toads were introduced into Australia in 1935 in an effort to control beetles eating the sugar cane.
• Toads produce toxins that are deadly to a range of endangered Australian wildlife including northern quolls, goannas, snakes and freshwater crocodiles. They also compete with native wildlife for habitat and food.
• The western frontline of toads is moving at least 40 km a year.
• Each female toad can lay 35000 eggs. The first rains indicate to the toads it is time to breed. This has already happened this year due to early wet season rains. Volunteers on this years’ Muster removed ten lots of eggs (30,000-35,000 each) found in water bodies near the main base camp.
• Volunteers also spent time collecting tadpoles and metamorph toads during the daytime at the Muster. A total of 18kgs of metamorphs and 8kgs of tadpoles were removed.
• The breakdown of toad numbers found at this years’ Muster was 10,182 from the edges of Lake Argyle, 7243 from Keep River National Park (just over the WA/NT border) and 3216 from Carlton Hill Station near Point Springs Nature Reserve. A total of 20, 641.

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