Foreign aid that they could have done without
Seems that Australia’s aid programs in East Timor have delivered the Timorese a nasty surprise in the form of the cane toad. The resilient and toxic toads, which have wreaked havoc across Australia, are believed to have hitched a ride on military vehicles.Since the arrival of cane toads arrival in Australia in the 1930s, they have spread from Queensland, where they were originally introduced to kill pests in the cane fields, to northern NSW and across into the Northern Territory.
I’m sure that Xanana Gusmao, Jose Ramos Horta and their compatriots will be somewhat less thankful for this gift from Australia than for all the military and police assistance we have provided and all that development aid since independence.
Maybe the Timorese people need to take up some new sports – like toad golf, toad hockey, etc?
September 12th, 2008 at 7:32 am
There are so many non-native invasive species in most every country that someone thought would be great to clear up a problem of some type. They never stop to think about the problem they may be adding into the ecosystem. It is a shame that these toads are now getting farther via aid trucks.
September 12th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
I just heard that the toad had been mis-identified…
They are not cane toads, but some other species native to indonesia.
When something goes wrong, its so easy to point the finder.
Its not so easy to think and do the research first…
September 18th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Stinky pissy things they are. Summer just around the corner they will be back out in force by the zillions. I must remember to shut the back door.