THE AUSTRALIAN (Sydney, Australia) 08 October 07 Cane toad trek west simply cannot be stopped (Janine MacDonald and Kaitlyn Offer)
Efforts to halt the cane toad's inexorable march westwards are failing.
Despite the culling of an estimated 200,000 toads and millions of tadpoles over the past two years, a new report says the toads continue to head west across the Northern Territory at up to 80km a year.
As scientists battle against time to find biological controls to stop the pest, including plans to map the cane toad genome, experts predict the toad may cross the border into Western Australia next year.
The report's author, Tony Peacock, head of the invasive animals co-operative research centre at the University of Canberra, has called for a national cane toad plan to co-ordinate research, culling and other eradication efforts.
Cane toads are throughout Queensland, the Territory and northern NSW.
The West Australian Government on Friday announced $500,000 in funding for the Australian Cane Toad Genome project, topping up previous funding of $350,000 and a commonwealth contribution of $260,000.
Dr Peacock said the toads spread by 50-80km in the long wet season of 2005-06 and by 20km-40km during the recent weaker wet season. Toads were likely to cross the border next year if the coming wet season was above average.
Cane toad trek west simply cannot be stopped