Beer scheme rubs out Top End toads

By Tim Arvier
National Nine News

Just for a moment, place yourself in the position of someone trying to stop the cane toad invasion in the Northern Territory. What innovations or methods would you use? Trapping? Poisoning? Organising community toad hunts perhaps? What about setting up an exchange program in which people can swap toads for beer?

Well, if you picked the latter option, you've chosen exactly the same scheme as some enterprising Territory businessmen and the RSPCA.

With cane toads arriving in Darwin in increasing numbers, how to dispose of the pests has become a highly publicised issue and in true Territory style, there's been no shortage of eccentric solutions floating around.

Some people, such as Federal MP David Tollner, have proposed killing toads with golf clubs and cricket bats. However, there are also people like Lindsay Wilkinson from the RSPCA, who recommends cane toads be put down by rubbing them with haemorrhoid cream. Apparently this anaesthetises the animals and induces a painless death.

While the debate continues about how to control the rampant pests, it seems those benefiting most are the local newspaper editors. In addition to crocodiles, they can now use toads to create increasingly bizarre headlines.

But where does public opinion actually lie?

Many people have taken to David Tollner's suggestions and actively hunt the pests, armed with bats and clubs. Others opt for the catch and freeze approach. Disappointingly for the RSPCA, however, few Territorians seem keen to give toads a good rub down with haemorrhoid cream. To add insult, many have said they are willing to make a limited compromise by diligently applying the cream to the ends of their golf clubs.

However, in an innovative approach, the RSPCA has teamed up with Coopers Brewery and the Cavenagh Hotel to encourage people to resist whacking cane toads over the fence. Instead, Territorians who drop off the pests at the RSPCA receive a voucher for a free pot of Coopers, redeemable at the popular Cavenagh Hotel. The toads must be alive, not hit with a nine iron beforehand.

So far, the RSPCA has exchanged 250 toads for beer vouchers in the last two weeks; which is less than they had hoped for. But, they say, that's 250 fewer toads in the wild, and 250 more cheers for the RSPCA in the pub. Not to mention 250 more toads who have been spared the golf club treatment and gone to meet their maker with a more comfortable posterior.