Researchers are Trying to Save Freshwater Crocodiles from Cane Toad Poisoning

A recent study in Western Australia has found a promising method to protect freshwater crocodiles from the deadly effects of toxic cane toads. The innovative technique, known as taste aversion training, teaches crocodiles to associate the consumption of cane toads with illness, thereby deterring them from eating the invasive pest.

Researchers from Macquarie University, in collaboration with Bunuba Indigenous rangers and the Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions, conducted the study. They removed the poisonous parts of dead cane toads and injected the toads with lithium chloride, a chemical that induces nausea. These treated toads were then placed in water where the crocodiles, a protected species, would encounter and consume them. After eating the bait, the crocodiles experienced temporary sickness, leading them to avoid eating cane toads in the future.

Trials conducted between 2019 and 2022 across four large gorge systems in the Kimberley, including Dan͟ggu Geikie Gorge, yielded significant results. By the end of the trials, the crocodiles showed a strong aversion to cane toads. Remarkably, when real cane toad invasions occurred, the expected high mortality rates did not materialize. In one gorge system where cane toads had been present for two years, crocodile deaths dropped by 95%.

This method offers a targeted solution to protect vulnerable crocodile populations from the toxic threat of cane toads, which have been spreading across northern Australia since their introduction in the 1930s. Ranger coordinator Paul Bin Busu emphasized the importance of preserving freshwater crocodiles, as their decline could disrupt the entire river ecosystem.

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