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Aussies Croak Toxic Toads

By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 29, 2009 8:45 AM CDT

(Newser) – Aussies killed thousands of "toxic" cane toads today in an annual hunting festival to help reduce their ravenous numbers, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. The toads were introduced in 1935 from South American to eat pest beetles, but they now number in the millions and are driving out local species and spreading disease. They were sent to their untimely demise by freezing or were placed in plastic bags filled with carbon dioxide.

A cane toad is weighed at a collection point in Cairns, Australia, before his untimely demise today.
A cane toad is weighed at a collection point in Cairns, Australia, before his untimely demise today.   (AP Photo/Brian Cassey)
Some of the thousands of cane toads caught by the residents of Cairns Australia overnight and entered into the Toad's Day Out  festival await euthanasia by freezing today.
Some of the thousands of cane toads caught by the residents of Cairns Australia overnight and entered into the "Toad's Day Out" festival await euthanasia by freezing today.   (AP Photo/Brian Cassey)
So long, buddy.
So long, buddy.   (AP Photo/Brian Cassey)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 5 comments
riffran
Mar 31, 2009 3:01 AM CDT
sure send them down here, they make good target practice....they explode better that a the head of a praire dog
NxBigmouthery
Mar 29, 2009 8:01 AM CDT
It was a perfectly acceptable thing to do as a kid growing up here: get a golf club, cricket bat etc. and go kill a few cane toads.
AnnieChrist
Mar 29, 2009 7:16 AM CDT
When I saw the headline "Aussies Croak Toxic Toads," I thought maybe Crocodile Dundee had killed rush limbaugh, glenn beck and sean hannity

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