The cane toads are coming. Can a simple, but clever plan stop them from fully invading Western Australia and causing catastrophic damage?
Join our host David as he talks with Professor Ben Phillips about the project he's leading, the Toad Containment Zone (TCZ). A collaborative effort between community, rangers and scientists, the TCZ is the last line of defence against the cane toad invasion of Western Australia. If not stopped, the cane toad will have devastating wildlife and cultural impacts.
- How cane toads came to Australia (01:15)
- Ecological fallout of toads (06:38)
- “Put them in the freezer”: efforts to control toads (12:11)
- The Toad Containment Zone (TCZ): what it is and how it will work (14:14)
- Charismatic species set to disappear (23:08)
- How soon can we gauge success? (26:11)
Learn more
Connect with our guests
Professor Ben Phillips
Professor Ben Phillips is a population biologist and a Premier Science Fellow at Curtin University, where he conducts biosecurity research in the School of Molecular and Life Sciences. He has worked extensively across the Northern Territory and Western Australia on cane toad biology, ecology and evolution, and on how to control and reduce the impacts of cane toads on vulnerable native species, including northern quolls.
Ben’s modelling work has identified where the Toad Containment Zone should be placed and how large it should be to stop the toad invasion to the Pilbara.
You can find Ben on:
LinkedIn
X
Join Curtin University
This podcast is brought to you by Curtin University. Curtin is a global university known for its commitment to making positive change happen through high-impact research, strong industry partnerships and practical teaching.
Got any questions, or suggestions for future topics?
Email thefutureof@curtin.edu.au
Social media
Transcript
Read the transcript.
Behind the scenes
Host: David Karsten
Producer:Emilia Jolakoska
Episode researcher:Zoe Taylor
First Nations Acknowledgement
Curtin University acknowledges all First Nations of this place we call Australia and the First Nations peoples connected with our global campuses. We are committed to working in partnership with all Custodians and Owners to strengthen and embed First Nations’ voices and perspectives in our decision-making, now and into the future.
Music
OKAY by 13ounce Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 Music promoted by Audio Library.
Curtin University supports academic freedom of speech. The views expressed in The Future Of podcast may not reflect those of Curtin University.
