The cane toad invasion of Kakadu National Park in the NT saw a sharp rise in the number of known species to suffer badly from the impact of cane toads. While toads have now been slowly invading large areas of northern Australia for the past 76 years little has been understood of the full impact of the toad on our native species. Considerable scientific research had been undertaken in Kakadu prior to the arrival of the cane toad and for the first time scientists began recording evidence that entire species were being wiped out, giving little chance for some species to make the so called ‘come-back’ some scientists advocate happens when toads either ‘move on” or population numbers reduce due to diminishing food resources. Recent floods in areas of Queensland that appeared to have had a reprieve from cane toads have seen a huge escalation in numbers once again. This has meant that any build-up in food resources that might have enabled some native species that had survived the first series of toad invasions were once again being forced not only to compete for food resources but for new generations of native species also having to ‘learn’ not to touch the toad.

The KTB “Iconic Species” monitoring program is designed to encourage community members across the Kimberley to select a known native species that experiences a sharp decline when toads first invade an area, or to select their favourite native species, record its number in a known area and then monitor it prior to and after the toads arrive.

Please contact KTB on 08 91682576, email admin@canetoads.com.au or follow this link for a copy of our “Iconic Species” data recording and monitoring form.