Rhino Eradication

Toads Will Handicap Rhino Eradication

T HE giant toad, introduced to

Fiji to clean up pests in the

cane fields, is unpopular now

because it will not eat Rhinceros beetle grubs—and does eat some of the other predators which will.

The toad, says an August release from the Fiji Department of Agri culture, is likely to prove a severe handicap to the introduction of many useful predators largely be cause they feed on ground beetles of the carabid family. Toads them selves are not interested in either adult rhinoceros beetles or grubs.

All of which goes to show that if you upset the balance of nature by the introduction to a country of any new form of life you will almost certainly, in the long run, get some very unexpected results.

Giant toads were introduced to some of the New Guinea islands just before the war, and now, par ticularly in New Britain, exist in un told thousands.

In Fiji, as one generation suc ceeded another, the toads got smaller until these days they are just about

normal toad size. In the New Guinea islands they are still giant —many of them about the size of yc)ung pups. Apart from being hideous, their corpses strew the roads and the smell of toad toast ing in the next day’s sun is one of the lingering memories of New Britain.

But what is more to the point, they seem to have made no im pression on the pests of local coco nuts and cocoa.

I The Assistant Colonial Secretar (Administration) of Fiji, Mr. J. V Sykes, has been transferred t Cyprus as Deputy Colonial Secre tary. Mr. Sykes began his Colonu Service career in 1938, when he wer to Fiji as a Cadet. He held seven positions in the Secretariat froi 1944 till early 1953, when he ws appointed Assistant Colonial Secre tary. For his work in arrangin the recent Royal visit to Fiji he wa made a Commander of the Rovj Victorian Order.