A cane toad, in all its invasive and unwelcome glory, was detected at Harrington on New Year's Day.
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This was confirmed by Hunter Local Land Services (HLLS) after a second toad was caught at Port Stephens last weekend.
A Salamander Bay resident caught the cane toad on his driveway last weekend and immediately reported it.
The message from Hunter Local Land Services regional weeds coordinator Matt Kennedy- the toads are not welcome in our region.
"While the Hunter and Mid Coast are popular summer holiday locations, cane toads are certainly not on our favourite visitors list," Mr Kennedy said.
"With a bit of rain around and humid conditions, it's unfortunately the perfect season for toads but we don't want them to make themselves at home here and we're asking holidaymakers to please ensure they are not bringing toads unwittingly into our area, stowed away in their car or caravans.
"We've been working closely with local councils, community groups and amphibian experts to undertake strategic mapping of potential cane toad hot spots in our region."
Last year, HLLS worked with local councils to deliver a series of workshops showing community members how to identify potential cane toads from native frogs and what to do if they find a suspected toad.
"The most important message is if you spot a suspected toad, please don't kill it- we have a number of native species that look very similar to cane toads and we don't want them to be killed unintentionally," Mr Kennedy said.
"We are grateful to the community for their high level of interest in keeping our area free of breeding populations of cane toads."
What to do if you find a toad:
- Always wear protective gloves and eyewear when handling potential cane toads. They extrude (and sometimes squirt) poison from glands positioned behind the head.
- The animal should be collected and held in a closed, well-ventilated, non-toxic container with some water.
- Don't harm the animal until HLLS can confirm what it is.
- Photograph the animal and report it to NSW Department of Primary Industries using the online reporting form or email invasive.species@dpi.nsw.gov.au
If you notice anything unusual, are aware of a plant or animal disease threat, call HLLS on 1300 795 299.