darwin

A ”monster” cane toad the size of a small dog has been captured by an environmental group dedicated to wiping out the toxic amphibian, which has killed countless animals since being introduced to Australia in the 1930s. The volunteer-run organisation picked up the 40cm-long, 1kg cane toad during a raid on a pond.

For the hot, dusty outback town of Darwin, it is an invasion unlike anything it has experienced before. Hotels are booked out, the bars are bustling and the talk is mostly about a murder mystery and a missing body. British travel agent Joanne Lees will this week face the man accused of killing her boyfriend four years ago.

Australia’s dreaded cane toad might have met its match — disco-style ultraviolet lights. Northern Territory researchers said on Sunday they have been successful using dark ultraviolet lights — the same as those used in nightclubs — to lure and trap the pests that are killing off many of Australia’s native animals.