Rio Tinto is joining Curtin University and other partners to fund a A$28m project aimed at stopping cane toads from reaching The Pilbara region of Western Australia. The five-year initiative is due to begin in 2027 and will create a “toad containment zone” between the Great Sandy Desert and the Indian Ocean.
The plan is to restrict the toads’ access to water across 7,500 sq km of land by blocking access to dams, storage tanks and other ground-level water sources. Cane toads need water every few days during dry periods and can rely on artificial water points used for cattle and irrigation when natural sources are unavailable.
Although the toads are not a direct threat to Rio Tinto’s business, their toxins can kill native wildlife and pose a risk to the Pilbara ecosystem. Species potentially affected include the northern quoll, goanna lizard and ghost bat.
Roberta Hunter, a ranger in the Nyangumarta Warrarn Indigenous Protected Area, said local people wanted to help stop the toads from reaching their country because of the damage they can cause to water and animals.
Cane toads were introduced to Australia in 1935 to control beetles in the sugar cane industry. They have since spread west across the country’s north, travelling an estimated 40 to 60 km each year, according to the Australian government. Curtin University professor Ben Phillips said that without action, the toads could reach the Pilbara within two decades.
Sources: BBC News World.