Taiwan rushes to contain poisonous Cane Toad invasion threatening wildlife and humans

An unexpected infestation of the ‘invasive’ species of toads scrambled Taiwanese officials and environmentalists to contain their spread earlier on Monday, Dec. 6. While generally, the toads are harmless, the large, toxic, and voracious cane toads particularly secrete poison when squeezed or touched and can significantly harm pets, wildlife, and even humans. According to NPR, Volunteers from the Taiwan Amphibian Conservation Society on Monday took the initiative to collect the cane toads via hand one by one as they worked using flashlights through late-night throughout this week. Until now, the volunteers have successfully gathered over 300 monstrous amphibians. 

“We hope to minimize the impact brought by the invasive species by collecting them to protect our own local species,” volunteer Guava Tsai told NBC News via Facebook on Monday, Dec. 6. 

Invasive species that secrete poison, destroy the ecosystem

Toads are considered good luck in Taiwan, but the cane toad that can measure up to 9 inches in length, and is a native to South and Central America, is an exceedingly invasive species and its body can secrete toxins which is fatal to humans if it gets into the eyes or mouth, according to Australian government’s Brisbane City Council’s release. 

“Cane toads are toxic at all stages of life, and can cause environmental damage,” the Australian council explains.

They also displace and out-compete the native species for food and resources in the regions where they breed, as well as transmit diseases including salmonella. The cane toads can cause toxic illness or death to humans if their venom is ingested, and the mature female cane toads lay thousands of eggs per season. 

The immediate toad hunt in Taiwan kicked off after a local resident discovered oddly large amphibians hanging out in her community vegetable garden, as per the reports. She later uploaded a photograph online, which caused panic. Shortly, the volunteers from the Taiwan Amphibian Conservation Society started searching the rice fields and vegetable plots for their quarry to find the toxic cane toads. And shockingly, as many as 27 toads scientifically named Rhinella Marina were found in the immediate vicinity. 

Strangely, these cane toads shall not be existing in the urban township of Caotun. Volunteers have now expanded the search parameters to a 4-kilometre radius and thus far over 200 toads have been captured. Cane toads that are voracious predators, make in the top '100 Invasive Alien Species' list by the Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) and were first discovered in Australia, the Philippines, Japan, the Caribbean, Florida, and Hawaii where they damaged the ecosystem.