Rio Tinto creates ‘kill zone’ to halt cane toad invasion
Mining group building ‘firebreak’ in Western Australia designed to stop invasive species reaching Pilbara
TL;DR
- Rio Tinto is investing A$28 million ($20 million) to combat cane toad encroachment in Western Australia's Pilbara region.
- A 'kill zone' is being established between the Indian Ocean and the Great Sandy Desert to prevent the toads from reaching the Pilbara.
- The invasive toads threaten local biodiversity, including reptiles, ghost bats, quolls, and little red kalutas, potentially increasing mining compliance costs.
- The strategy involves making approximately 200 water sources in a 40km by 400km containment area toad-proof.
- Cane toads also pose a cultural threat to indigenous populations by diminishing traditional food sources like goannas.
- The toads are projected to reach Broome in about two years and the Pilbara region by 2045.
- The initiative is a collaboration between Rio Tinto, scientists, farmers, and the local indigenous community.
- This approach focuses on adapting the environment to make it uninhabitable for toads, rather than directly targeting the animals.