Advertisement

Reggie ready to sniff out cane toads

A new weapon in the fight against cane toads has arrived in the form of "Reggie" the detector dog.

Environment Minister Albert Jacob today said the specially trained dog was part of the State Government's $7.8 million cane toad strategy.

He said Reggie's main role would be to sniff out "hitchhiker" toads that hopped onto trucks travelling from northern WA.

"He will be used as a proactive quarantine measure and will be deployed mainly to inspect trucks in the Kimberly for 'hitchhicker' cane toads," he said.


An East Perth couple discovered a female cane toad in their backyard on Monday night.

"This incident is an important reminder that while the scourge of cane toads is mainly a problem in the Kimberley, even people in Perth need to be aware of the invasive species," Mr Jacob said.

About one cane toad is spotted in Perth metropolitan area every six months.

People who spot cane toads are advised to secure the animal and contact the Cane Toad Hotline on 1800 44 WILD (9543).