InfoAnda - Aussies hopping mad at govt stance on toad-busting

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Libraries more wired, financially stressed | 14 January 2010
Autopsy doctor doubts Jackson caused his own death | | 12 October 2011
Malaysian minister rejects child marriage reform | 16 March 2010

Israel closes Gaza crossings, reporters banned | 25 November 2008

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Aussies hopping mad at govt stance on toad-busting

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam Aussies hopping mad at govt stance on toad-busting By KRISTEN GELINEAU,Associated Press Writer - Sunday, January 24 Send IM Story Print SYDNEY – When the enemy reached Australia's largest state last year, the Kimberley Toad Busters knew the battle was on. But they didn't expect that officialdom might strip them of their most effective weapon. The enemy? The cane toad. The weapon? Plastic bags full of carbon dioxide _ long considered the animal-friendly alternative to whacking the creatures with golf clubs or cricket bats. But Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation isn't so sure that euthanizing Bufo marinus with carbon dioxide is the kindest way to go, and says further tests are needed. Should the tests prove the toads are suffering, the carbon dioxide option could be banned across Western Australia. And that, the Toad Busters fear, would make the war against cane toads virtually unwinnable. Keep on whacking them instead, says the government. But to many, that makes no sense. "Oh my lord, what are they saying?" cried Lisa Ahrens, a veteran toad fighter. "That's going right back to giving people a golf stick and telling them to go forth and conquer!" This all may sound like a simple matter of bureaucracy and humane pest control, but cane toads are a 75-year-old Australian nightmare, and they amount to a cautionary tale about the difficulties that can crop up when humans try to reverse their environmental blunders. The toads, native to Central and South America, were deliberately introduced to Queensland, on the other side of the continent from Western Australia, in 1935 in an unsuccessful attempt to control beetles on sugarcane plantations. The toads bred rapidly, and their millions-strong population now threatens many species across Australia. They spread diseases, such as salmonella, and their skin exudes a venom that can kill would-be predators. They are also voracious eaters, gorging on insects, frogs, small reptiles and mammals, and birds. Cane toads are only harmful to humans if their poison is swallowed. In recent years, Australians have held festive mass killings of the creatures, complete with sausage sizzles and prizes. Ahrens, of Cairns in Queensland, organizes the state's annual "Toad Day Out," when people gather to collect the creatures and either freeze them or expose them to carbon dioxide. But the toads are constantly on the hop, and by early 2009 had migrated more than 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles) from their original landing point in Queensland to the Western Australian border. Lee Scott-Virtue, an archaeologist in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, saw it coming. Five years before the toads reached her state, she founded the Kimberley Toad Busters to mount a pre-emptive offensive across the border into the Northern Territory. "We were confronted literally with walls of toads _ tens of thousands of them. It was like watching a moving carpet," she said. Since then, the group's thousands of volunteers have killed more than 500,000 toads, largely with carbon dioxide, which she says is fast and painless. By the time toads finally crossed into Western Australia, their numbers had been reduced to the point "where we're only picking up handfuls." But the state Department of Environment and Conservation says it ran tests in 2008 that showed the toads regained consciousness after initially passing out. That, the department says, might violate the state's Animal Welfare Act, which requires all killing of vertebrates to be humane. Pending further tests scheduled for next month, the department advises people to go back to the freezing and clubbing options. "It's quick, it's effective," said a spokeswoman who spoke on condition of anonymity, in line with department policy. That suggestion has outraged the cane-toad-killing community, which believes clubbing is a far more painful way to end a toad's life. "For it to suddenly be dropped on us as the toad reaches Western Australia has been quite shattering," said Scott-Virtue. "If you hammer a toad, you've got to be very clever and very quick to be able to kill it instantly." The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals agrees that a strike to the head is the best method _ provided the toads are first chilled into unconsciousness. But Shane Knuth, a Queensland state legislator who has suggested placing a 40 Australian cent ($0.37) bounty on cane toads, says freezing them takes too long. Besides, he said: "Mums and dads don't want toads in their freezers." "We can go on and spend the next 50 years debating on how to dispose the toads _ but in reality, they're one of the greatest environmental catastrophes Australia has ever seen," he said. "The do-gooders need to see the painful death our native animals go through after coming in contact with a cane toad." ___ On the Net: Kimberley Toad Busters: http://www.canetoads.com.au/ Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Malaysian police arrest four over Muslim prayer hall attacks AFP - 2 hours 21 minutes ago Save the tiger: Pressure mounts for tougher action AP - Sunday, January 24 Aussies hopping mad at govt stance on toad-busting AP - Sunday, January 24 Car bomb attack kills four in Pakistan AFP - Sunday, January 24 29 killed in clashes, suicide attack in Pakistan AP - Sunday, January 24 News Search Top Stories Glacier alarm 'regrettable error': UN climate head Bernanke fate in doubt as US Senate opposition swells Bank 'sheriff' Obama hits hard in Europe: analysts GE profit tops forecasts despite finance weakness Last decade warmest ever: NASA More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Bank 'sheriff' Obama hits hard in Europe: analysts Bernanke fate in doubt as US Senate opposition swells Glacier alarm 'regrettable error': UN climate head Last decade warmest ever: NASA Haiti quake is a new warning of Latin America's faultline More Most Viewed » Huge tomb found at Egypt's Saqqara pyramid Woman who saved Anne Frank's diary dead at 100 Scientists praise Obama as Doomsday clock reset More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Sunday, 24 January 2010
US Marines' Iraq command ends; Biden in Baghdad
Pope urges priests to make 'astute' use of Internet
U.S. to appeal dismissal of Blackwater charges
Glacier alarm 'regrettable error': UN climate head
Saudi claims Yemeni rebels linked to al Qaeda
Militants in Afghan killings, kidnapping
Saudi claims Yemeni rebels linked to al Qaeda |
Israel's Netanyahu seeks to calm nerves on Lebanon |
Putin seeks more jobs to stabilize North Caucasus |
Sudan ex-rebels say to boycott vote in oil state |
Save the tiger: Pressure mounts for tougher action
Plouffe to play expanded advisory role for Obama
Aussies hopping mad at govt stance on toad-busting
Calif. skies clear; snow piles up in N. Ariz, NM
Car bomb attack kills four in Pakistan
29 killed in clashes, suicide attack in Pakistan
Obama's State of the Union agenda: Yes, I get it
Chief backs 911 caller in Ohio roadside rape case
Biden says US to appeal Blackwater court decision
NATO forces in race to secure Kandahar
Crumbling cliffs don't deter Pacifica residents
Tax the rich? Ore. voters scratching their ballots
Dog surge along with troop surge in Afghan war
After a lousy week, Democrats hope to recover
Sri Lanka opposition warns of poll violence
Sri Lankan ruling party plans violence: opposition
Obamas head out to watch daughter play basketball
Japan political 'kingpin' denies fund allegations
Car bomb attack kills four in NW Pakistan
"Guys and Dolls" actress Jean Simmons dies at 80
India carmaker Maruti profit triples
NYPD Faces $2 Million Suit for Jailing Men Over Candy
`Basterds,' `Precious,' `30 Rock' lead SAG Awards
Google Co-founders To Sell $2.75 Billion In Stock
Farmer Shoots 51 Cows Dead Then Self
Filmmakers eye Web, TV as alternate to theaters
Design for a good cause at Berlin fashion week
Filmmakers eye Web, TV as alternate to theaters |
Deadlines Forcing Government Agencies To Open Information Vaults
Dior Homme does Amish chic
Boy, 9, Commits Suicide Inside Texas School Bathroom
Marxist Group Accuses U.S. Of Military Occupation In Haiti
Jacques Tati back in Paris for Kenzo's 50s fashion
Obama Reassures Americans, Vows To Fight For His Goals
Guthrie show benefits western Mass. fire victims
Stars unite to help Haiti in telethon
The art of forgery goes on show in London
46 injured after plane crash lands in Iran
France probes migrants' mass-landing in Corsica
Aid workers try to ramp up Haiti relief efforts |
Google courts smartphone game makers
Britain sceptical about US banking reform
Afghanistan to postpone parliament poll |
US peace envoy meeting with Israeli prime minister
Top US senators say Fed chief will win second term
Caucasus extremists 'vanquished': Putin
Winning the Afghan war, Dutch style
Illegal gold miners freeze to death in China |
Venezuela tells cable to cut anti-Chavez station |
Expert lawyers to declare Iraq war illegal: reports
North Korea accuses South of declaring war |
Turkey detains 2 journalists, others in PKK raids
Japan PM's party clouded by scandal despite denial |
Israel's Netanyahu seeks to calm nerves on Lebanon
Gunmen fire on Papua mine employees, nine wounded |
Sudan ex-rebels say to boycott vote in oil state
Anthrax in heroin kills eight in Europe |
Turkey detains 2 journalists, others in PKK raids |
Montreal to host talks on rebuilding Haiti
Killer's son finds solace in unlikely ally
Cambodia reports clash with Thai troops
Obama facing huge economic challenges ahead
Shooting near Freeport mine in Indonesia wounds 7
2 killed when plane crashes in suburban Chicago
Illegal gold miners freeze to death in China
Six wounded in ambush near US mine in Indonesia
Obama endorses deficit task force
Flight diverted to Denver due to unruly passenger
Japan PM's party clouded by scandal despite denial
Senators assure Obama Bernanke to win 2nd term
Weather forecast for the Asia-Pacific region
Malaysia police hold six over Indonesia maid death
US base row focus of Japan city vote
Film focuses on Mormon role in gay marriage ban
North Korea accuses South of declaring war
N.Koreans barter amid currency change chaos
Bank of China to sell up to $5.8B in bonds
US asked to drag China to WTO over Google dispute
Spotlight turns to Apple's 'latest creation'
Argentine foreign minister to lead China trip
Sandra Bullock hushes Oscar talk
Betty White accepts lifetime achievement award
"Basterds," Bullock, Bridges big SAG winners
'Jersey Shore' cast party overwhelms NJ nightclub
Basterds, Bullock, Bridges big SAG winners |
'Inglourious Basterds' wins top honor at SAG Awards
German taste for budget food worries producers
Sandra Bullock hushes Oscar talk |
A view from the winners' table at the SAG Awards
Hope for Haiti Now telethon raises $57 million |
Complete list of winners at 16th annual SAG Awards
Bill Gates goes to Sundance, offers an education |
Filmmakers eye Web, TV as alternate to theaters |
Iraq's PM orders probe on bomb detectors
US-TECH Summary
Bin Laden claims responsibility for U.S. plane attack |
Barclays Capital head 'slates Obama bank plan'
China paper slams U.S. for cyber role in Iran unrest
Five US soldiers killed in Afghan unrest
Afghanistan delays parliament poll |
Japan PM plagued by funding scandal, U.S. base row |
Iran plane catches fire after crash-landing
Plane catches fire in Iran, injures 42 |
U.S. envoy offered "interesting ideas"
U.S. envoy offered interesting ideas: Netanyahu: |
Two US soldiers killed in Afghan unrest
Ahmadinejad says new budget less dependent on oil |
Taliban kill seven US 'spies' in Pakistan: police
Afghanistan postpones parliamentary election
Israel to rebut Gaza war report |
Ahmadinejad hints Iran plans to enrich more uranium
Report: Iran unrest 'full-blown rights crisis'
Militants kill 6 Pakistanis for alleged US spying
Beijing encourages cycling in bid to cut traffic
China paper slams U.S. for cyber role in Iran unrest
China paper slams U.S. for cyber role in Iran unrest |
Chinese police prepare for attacks ahead of expo
Afghan commission postpones parliamentary vote
Anti-India protest erupts in Kashmir
AP Exclusive: Feds detail Christmas Day attack
Bombs kill 3 US service members in Afghanistan
China-Taiwan trade talks to start this week
Bin Laden tape warns of further US attacks
4 million Muslims gather for prayer in Bangladesh
Taliban kill seven in Pakistan for being "U.S. spies"
16-year-old girl starts solo sail around globe
Three US soldiers killed in Afghan violence: NATO
The nation's weather
US envoy shares 'new ideas' with Israel PM
India fast tracks highway expansion plans
China to step up efforts on overheating: analysts
Obama bank plan unlikely to concern Asia: analysts
China, Taiwan trade talks to begin Tuesday: report
Telethon raises more than $58 mln for Haiti
Germany rock band Scorpions to end career
Indians keep faith with Ganges despite pollution
Bloody frontlines of Afghanistan arrive in Sundance
High-end hotel boom sweeps Beirut
Manhunts, alienation in latest Rwanda genocide film
Children of Auschwitz recall liberation 65 years on
Son of Escobar wrestling with sins of father
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01