Man Plays God

Go to any pet shop and you could see many exotic animals from all over the world. Maklumlah this is what we now called globalization. Many pets need license but with the corruption index at the highest, many of them can be imported without much problem.
Small and cute when they are small, these little "pets" will eventually outgrow the cages and later released into the wild. As the number increases in the wild, these "pets" will eat up the local fauna & flora and affecting the ecosystem. And now Man is playing God - this one is in Australia. Let us hope that this could be the lesson for us NOT to keep exotic pets. They are best left in the wild, right?
Read the story below:

Star Online
Wednesday April 2, 2008

Australian politician proposes designated day to hunt, euthanize toxic toads

BRISBANE, Australia (AP): An Australian politician wants to designate a special day for residents and their children to hunt and kill what he calls one of the world's most disgusting creatures: the poisonous cane toad.

The toads were imported from South America to Australia's northeastern state of Queensland in 1935 in a failed attempt to control beetles on sugar cane plantations, and they now threaten many local species.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has said it backs the plan by state lawmaker Shane Knuth to launch "Toad Day Out,'' but only if the creatures are killed in a humane way, such as euthanizing them in a freezer.

"Obviously we're not idiots. We understand a lot people will be highly reluctant to fill their fridges and freezers with dying cane toads, but at the moment that is the only humane way that we can recommend,'' said Michael Beatty, the society's spokesman.

Knuth said Wednesday that he wanted "a special day that Queenslanders, especially children, could all play their part,'' similar to days set aside to clean up garbage.

"The toad is probably the greatest environmental vermin and probably the most disgusting creature known to man,'' Knuth said Wednesday.

Queensland's Department of Primary Industries said it was important that native frogs are not mistaken for toads during any hunt.

Knuth has long campaigned against the pests. Last year he suggested a bounty of 40 cents (US$0.36; euro0.23) per toad.