The Cooktown Cane Toad Capers bagged 81 invaders on 23 January. Photo: Great Cane Toad Bust website.
Cape hunters have played their part in the crackdown to collect 250,000 cane toads, tadpoles and eggs.
The figure for Watergum Community’s Great Cane Toad Bust now sits less than 10,000 from its goal thanks to groups across the north.
The Cooktown Cane Toad Capers joined the bust, removing 81 cane toads/tadpoles from existence in one night of drizzling conditions perfect for the invasive creature.
The bust event from 17-25 January attracted hundreds of hunters across dozens of sites from as far south as northern NSW.
As this year’s figures continue to update, last year’s record of 199,231 cane toads in just one week has been left long behind.
Since cane toads were introduced in 1935 as a failed attempt to control cane beetles, their populations have grown from 102 individuals to more than 200 million across Australia.
With no natural predators, they pose a major threat to biodiversity and agriculture.
See the latest Great Cane Toad Bust results.
