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TORRES NEWS
News & events of the Kaurareg homeland of Kaiwalagal, the Torres Strait homeland, and Cape York homelands of the Anggamuthi, Atambaya, Wuthathi, Yadhaykenu and Gudang Peoples
24 - 30 June 2013 • Thursday Island • www.torresnews.com.au • editor@torresnews.com.au • Edition No. 1071 • $2.00 inc. GST
What a night, Wasie Tardent’s 70th birthday party
Wasie Tardent cuts her birthday cake surrounded by family and friends at the Bowls Club. More photos Page 16.
Cane toad threat to people, pets, wildlife Greg Pope in his backyard with some collected cane toads.
By AARON SMITH TESS Sard and partner Greg Pope have been finding increasing numbers of cane toads on Thursday Island - and they are not alone. “I take the scraps out the compost after dinner, and there are often green tree frogs and the occasional snake there, but recently I’ve spotted cane toads,” Greg, of Waiben Light Marine Services said. “I have been here nearly 25 years but have never seen a cane toad, but I’ve found three in the past month. “Now I am finding them more frequently,
just the other night I caught three in my garden,” he said. “I suspect they’ve arrived on pallets of goods. “All our pallets are unpacked in the shed, so I am sure the ones I’ve found haven’t been from that. “I guess there’s also a chance they have gotten over in the bottom of dinghys too. I’d urge anyone with a garden to keep an eye out.” Greg has been putting them in the freezer and refers to them as ‘Frosty Toads.’ Tess Sard has also spotted a couple near the dam when she takes her dogs for a walk.
Tess said: “I saw one had been killed by a council mower, so I would say we are in trouble. “It’s so sad I can just imagine the chaos they will cause if the make it across to Prince of Wales Island. There’s a lot of wildlife there like, goannas, lizards, snakes, kookaburras and a diversity of raptors. “They are are all at risk. Unfortunately, I think our days of being cane toad free are over and the public need to be aware. They are dangerous for domestics animals but more importantly young kids,” she said. Continued Page 3 >>