The cane toad is spreading in northern Australia, but researchers have found a way to protect apex predators from the toxic pest and it's all a matter of taste.
The "teacher toad" technique has proven so successful that researchers are looking to apply it to other species.
Working alongside Bunuba Rangers and wildlife management agencies, researchers introduced yellow-spotted monitors – a type of goanna – to small doses of the cane toad toxin, ahead of the "cane toad frontline" in Western Australia's Kimberley region. "We actually give goannas small doses of cane toad toxin that makes them sick but doesn't kill them and then they can learn from that experience," she said.
For three years, researchers surveyed goanna populations at sites across the Fitzroy Valley before and after the arrival of cane toads, which were first sighted in the area in March 2019. "Ecosystems are such a delicate balance that once you take out a component, it has really big impacts for the rest of the ecosystem.
Feral Animals Invasive Species Pest Control Wildlife Preservation Bunuba Rangers Cane Toad Control Wa Cane Toads In Kimberley
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