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Animals in Culture
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From Pest to Pub Star: Unpacking Australia's Weirdest Sport, Cane Toad Racing
In Australia, the reviled cane toad, a toxic invasive pest, is the star of a quirky pub sport: cane toad racing. This bizarre tradition, especially popular on Australia Day, transforms an ecological disaster into a unique and controversial cultural spectacle.
Imagine a national holiday. For many, this conjures images of fireworks, parades, and family barbecues. In Australia, Australia Day certainly has its share of barbecues and beach cricket, but in some corners of the country, particularly in the pubs of Queensland, the celebration includes something far more peculiar: cane toad racing.
What on Earth is Cane Toad Racing?
The scene is typically a bustling pub, packed with patrons clutching cold beers. In the center of the action is a small, circular track. A bucket is overturned in the middle, and beneath it are the stars of the show: a collection of large, warty amphibians. These are the cane toads, each given a comical name for the occasion—think 'Toad-al Recall' or 'Croak-a-Cola'. When the bucket is lifted, the race is on. The first toad to hop its way out of the circle is declared the winner, earning glory for the person who 'bought' it in the pre-race auction, with proceeds often going to charity.
A Pest of Epic Proportions
To understand how this bizarre sport came to be, you have to understand Australia's relationship with the cane toad (Rhinella marina). This is no beloved native creature. Cane toads were deliberately introduced to Queensland from Hawaii in 1935 in a misguided attempt to control the cane beetle population devastating sugar cane crops. The experiment was a catastrophic failure. The toads couldn't reach the beetles high on the cane stalks, and with no natural predators, their population exploded. They are toxic at all stages of their life cycle, and their poisonous glands have been lethal to countless native animals that try to eat them, from snakes and goannas to the endangered Northern Quoll. Today, they are one of the country's most reviled invasive pests.
A Controversial Pastime
This deep-seated hatred for the cane toad is precisely why many see racing them as harmless fun—a small act of revenge against an ecological villain. Event organisers insist the animals are treated humanely during their brief moment in the spotlight. Pat Webb, a publican at Brisbane's Story Bridge Hotel, which has hosted races for decades, described the toad's temporary accommodation to ABC News.
They're kept in a nice little air-conditioned box, they've got a little swimming pool in there. They get a bit of a spray with a water bottle every now and then... They're treated like kings.
However, not everyone is amused. Animal welfare organisations like the RSPCA firmly oppose using any animal for sport or entertainment, arguing it can cause unnecessary stress and suffering. While the ultimate fate of these toads is often grim—as pests, they are typically humanely euthanised following the event—the ethics of making a spectacle of them first remains a point of debate. Is it a quirky Aussie tradition that makes the best of a bad situation, or is it a step too far? Either way, it remains a strange and enduring fixture on Australia's cultural calendar.