Australia is spending millions of dollars to stop poisonous dart frogs

A company named Rio Tinto is spending millions of dollars to prevent the entry of poisonous cane toads into the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The mining company operates iron ore mines here.

Rio Tinto will spend 28 million Australian dollars (about Rs 185 crore) in collaboration with Perth-based Curtin University and other institutions.

With this amount, Rio Tinto aims to establish a 'frog control zone' and stop this harmful frog from spreading southwards.

Although the cane toad is not a direct threat to Rio Tinto's business, the toxins it releases are lethal to local wildlife.

The Pilbara ecosystem is also at risk.

Rio Tinto has previously faced criticism for destroying two tribal rock shelters above iron ore deposits in the Pilbara.

Due to this decision the then Chief Executive Officer of the company had to lose his post.

There was strong opposition across the country, and Rio Tinto later promised to work to rebuild trust with local tribal communities.

"Cane toads destroy water and animals. When they come close to our territory, we want to be there to stop them. We don't want our territory destroyed," said Roberta Hunter, a ranger in Australia's Nyangumarta Warren tribal reserve.

Under this plan, a dam will be built on 7,500 square kilometers of land between the Great Sandy Desert and the Indian Ocean to prevent the frog from reaching water.

Cane toads need water every few days to survive during the dry months.

When natural water sources are not available, this frog depends on artificial water sources created for animal husbandry and irrigation purposes.

These funds will be used to prevent it from reaching dams, water storage tanks and other underground water sources. This five-year project is scheduled to start in 2027.

If the cane toad enters the Pilbara, many native species there will become endangered.

These include the endangered northern quoll, goanna lizard and ghost bat, a small carnivore.

The cane toad was introduced to Australia in 1935 to control certain pests in sugarcane crops.

Since then they have been gradually expanding westward into the northern part of the country.

According to Australian government data, they are expanding their range, traveling 40 to 60 kilometers each year.

There are no predators to control the population of these frogs. Moreover, they use poison to protect themselves.

Professor Ben Phillips of Curtin University said that if they are not stopped from entering the area, they will reach the Pilbara within the next two decades.

"This conservation area is a rare opportunity to stop the spread of the cane toad, one of the world's most threatened invasive species, and protect the region's unique wildlife," he said.