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They're experienced, they're experimenting and they are definitely 'hands on'.
Kununurra's Toad Busters are an eclectic group of dedicated amateurs and professionals (unpaid) with one common goal - to do their very best to halt the spread into the Kimberley of the dreaded cane toad from the NT.
Headed up by archaeologist Lee Scott-Virtue and her sometimes sardonic and humorous partner Dean Goodgame, the Toad Busters head out each weekend to kill toads, monitor their spread, educate as many people as possible, develop strategies and (believe it or not) have a damned good time.
I decided to go along at the weekend, just to see what it was all about.
Late on Friday, it was still a little uncertain where we were going - it might be a new reported invasion of toads on the Duncan Highway or it might be to the 'toad front' on the Victoria River at Coolibah Station.
Toad Buster and trusting tour operator Jeff Hayley has freely offered a 21-seat Toyota Coaster bus and a full tank of diesel (he won't be coming this time).
Lee is to be the driver and, with a background in tourism, she demonstrates that this is no challenge, often referring to the bus as a 'car'.
This is not to be a training exercise, but the real thing.
All those on board are trained Toad Busters, with the exception of myself and tour guide Jools Parsons.
The bus picks us up from our various residences on Saturday morning along with a collection of swags, tents, eskies, food and water.
Dean and Lee have organised most of the cooking gear, food, plates, eating irons (but no tomato sauce, salt or pepper as it turns out - there's always some critics.)
On board are Dean and Lee (obviously) the super fit Wendy Carter, Del Collins (there is sure to be plenty of comedy), Marli MMMMMMM, Juju Wilson and nephew Clay Wilson (star toad catcher), Jools Parsons and myself.
The plot is to head to Timber Creek for morning tea and then on to Coolibah Station (including the crocodile farm) for some serious 'toad busting'.
This is to be followed by all-night rounding up of the ugly little (and not so little) amphibians and a check of the Victoria Highway to see what is happening along that toad super highway.
Alas rain (quite heavy) intervenes and Lee has to show all her mud driving skills just to get us to the camping area on Coolibah Station.
Not to worry - there will still be plenty of toads to 'bust', so we arrive and set off (about an hour before sunset) on a reconnaissance mission towards the river.
Halfway down the bank we are called back with a quick change of plans and set off to look at areas around the croc farm.
CALM traps in the area are observed (but not touched) and then we all traipse back to camp to find that (in our absence) Juju and Clay have set up all our tents, chairs, stacked up our swags, lined up the eskies and have all the cooking gear and a campfire in position.
Amid much discussion of the known, the unknown and conjecture, we enjoy an excellent meal and then, with torches and large garbage bags, set out to find the foe.
After a couple of hours traipsing around, we have managed to catch 53 toads of which 34 are male and 19 female.
This is proof (Lee says) that we are at 'the front'.
(Apparently the males lead the charge, calling to the females to come up and join them.)
Most of the females are believed to be carrying eggs - 570,000 all up we are told.
The following morning we measure and sex all the toads and bag them up, ready for a bit of snap freezing (causing death) and burial at the croc farm.
The farm has had some unexplained croc deaths, but doesn't seem to have cut the victims open to identify whether toads were to blame.
Trees near the farm have their fair share of dead kites and crows underneath them, but these are too decayed to ascertain whether toads were to blame.
There is also a very large and mostly decayed, lace monitor (goanna) at the rubbish tip, but we don't get to see manager 'Bluey' again to ask the story.
Around the station and back on the highway, we look at CALM traps and record the details.
We observe 25 traps of which two (and maybe three) are deliberately out of commission; four are not working; only two have caught toads and one of those toads escapes from the trap during the night; and one trap has a blue wing kookaburra in it.
This is a great cause for consternation as the traps are not supposed to trap 'bicatch' (other animals).
We release the bird and start to feel pretty proud of ourselves, as the human physical approach of nine people has significantly outstripped the professional traps.
On the return trip to Kununurra, we stop off for a quick expedition to explore a cave high in a rock formation, a couple of kilometres from the highway.
This is hard work, but all agree totally satisfying.
There are few quiet moments on the bus as plots and plans are hatched for the next two weekends of toad busting on the Duncan Highway and from boats on the Victoria River.
The general impression I got was that this group of people (and they desperately need more volunteers) is dedicated to the task, has no illusions about the size of the job ahead and actually have an amazing amount of fun doing what they are doing.
Despite some strong reservations as I set out on the exercise, I would have to say that if you want to have a load of fun and 'do your bit' to halt the invasion, I would highly recommend a weekend of toad busting.
Children are welcome and gloves are supplied for picking up the nasty invaders (who are really quite placid, if not the best-looking animals in the kingdom).
The reason for wearing gloves is apparently not so much the poison on their skins, but the chances that they might be carrying salmonella if they have been feeding on rotting garbage.
To book your place as a Toad Buster, call Lee or Dean on 9168 2576. |
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