PureInsight | April 18, 2005
[PureInsight.org] According to a BBC News report on April 11, 2005, an Australian MP named David Tollner has urged people to kill cane toads, a poisonous type of amphibian, with cricket bats and gulf clubs to prevent further spread of cane toads in the country's Northern Territory. "There could be as many as 100 million cane toads in Australia, and they are considered a highly dangerous pest," the report says. [1]
"Cane toads are big, ugly creatures, introduced into Australia more than 70 years ago to try to stop cane beetles destroying crops. The experiment has been a disaster. The population of these toxic amphibians has exploded and they're advancing up to 50km (30 miles) every year. Last month, they reached the outskirts of Darwin. Fresh water crocodiles, dingoes and kangaroos have died after eating their highly toxic skins."
David Tollner suggested tackling the problem in a way he was taught when he was a child --- hitting cane toads with cricket bats, gulf clubs and the like. Animal welfare groups recommended putting cane toads into a freezer until they die as a more humane way to kill cane toads. The Northern Territory government has launched a campaign to find better ways to catch cane toads. Nevertheless, Australians have determined to win the battle with these deadly pests.
Photo by dylan o'donnell (http://deography.com/)
The toad has a wide mouth and a pair of protruding eyes. In China, it usually dwells in ponds, swamps, rice paddy ponds, or other types of muddy, filthy places. It is a natural inhabitant of such water environment as lakes, swamps and rivers known as the words Jiang Ze in Chinese. The word, inhabitant, corresponds to Min in Chinese. Hence, the words, Jiang Ze Min, can be used as a metaphor for the toad.
Reference:
[1] BBC News: Australia MP Targets Toxic Toads
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2005/4/12/31913.html
