Experts on alert after cane toads found close to Sydney

The amphibious pests were discovered hiding under a sheet of tin at a private property  in Mandalong, west of Lake Macquarie.

During a week of ongoing surveillance, 17 cane toads had been captured at Mandalong, Department of Primary Industries Vertebrate Pest Biosecurity Manager Quentin Hart said last Wednesday.

A spokesperson for Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders said today a further two cane toads had since been found.

Saunders said the community had a critical role to play in stopping the cane toads from spreading across the region and broader NSW.

“Now is not the time for complacency – cane toads pose a significant risk to our domestic and native fauna and it is critical we keep them out of NSW,” Saunders said.

“Community members must be diligent in keeping an eye out for and reporting any rogue toads, because the size of this colony indicates there could be many more in the area.

“Residents can support DPI’s surveillance efforts by checking their yards, looking under and around items on the ground, such as wood piles, pots and metal sheeting, where it’s safe to do so.”

Cane toads were introduced to Australia in the 1930s to help wipe out beetle pests affecting Queensland sugar cane industry. But the cane toads, which are prolific breeders, soon became a bigger problem.

The colony at Mandalong is understood to be the most significant outbreak down south since 2010 when more than 50 cane toads were detected in an industrial area at Taren Point in southern Sydney.

Around 18 months after the Taren Point outbreak about 650 toads were collected before the breeding was stamped out.

Hart said the current cool weather was likely to be an advantage in quashing the current outbreak. 

“Time is on our side as cane toads are unlikely to be very active until the weather warms, which gives us the opportunity to find them before they leave their hiding places to breed,” Hart said.

“We’re asking for people who can confidently handle toads to safely capture them, place them in a high-sided container and contact NSW DPI. 

“Wear protective clothing, disposable gloves, long sleeves and eye protection if you do handle a cane toad, as they can release toxic ooze from the glands behind their head.”