What's Killing Frogs in Cairns?

Although Cairns is located in a tropical climate and is not far from World Heritage protected rainforests, Cairns itself is rather inhospitable to amphibians. While there are isolated pockets where frogs can still do well (for example, some streets backing onto bush and much of Division One south of Gordonvale), overall, frogs in Cairns are going 'down the tubes'. There are so many reasons why which are listed below:

• habitat loss for development, particularly medium and high density residential
• modified habitats, particularly the undergrounding and cementing of creeks to create run-off drains
• so-called 'hazard reduction burning' and deliberate arson of parks, reserves and surrounding hillslopes
• a large population of introduced predatory animals (dogs and cats)
• insufficient permanent, clean freshwater sources
• disease which is being aggravated by environmental stress
• the use of pesticides and herbicides, especially near and in waterways
• climate change and drought
• road kills
• household accidents such as being squashed in windows, doors, clothes hoists, awnings
• being sprayed with Dettol and other chemicals intended for cane toads
• lacerations from backyard gardening equipment such as whipper-snippers and hedge trimmers

We have even had frogs turned in to us for care that were tortured and attacked with sticks by school children and burned by adults who threw caustic chemicals on them to get rid of them. Occasionally, we will receive a call from someone of Aboriginal or Islander background to remove the frogs from their property before they take the matter into their own hands. We act on such calls as quickly as we can, especially after it was explained to us by one indigenous resident that frogs, toads and reptiles are considered a "taboo" for their culture. Another relocation we were asked to do was to remove the frogs from a marvellous, specially built frog pond. The distraught owner was being threatened by their neighbours who planned to poison all the frogs if they continued calling. Rather than see them killed, they opted to have them taken away. (Frogs are protected wildlife in Australia and the neighbours could have been prosected for poisoning them but that would not restore the lives of the slaughtered frogs.)

Aside from the extent of drought and development pressures that are decimating Cairn's frogs, it looks like attitudes about frogs and nature also have a long way to go. To learn more about the situation in Cairns, please read our page called Frogs and the 'Bigger Picture'.