Cane toads have long been painted as an existential threat to Queensland’s ecosystem. Since their deliberate introduction in 1935 by the Queensland Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations (BSES) to protect the sugar cane industry from the cane beetle, they have spread through the Northern Territory, Western Australia, and New South Wales.

It was one of those ‘trust the science’ moments that went horribly wrong.

Over 25 years of ‘good’ research went into the decision to import cane tones, including previous ‘successful’ experimentation in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines – all of which have significant issues with cane toad populations today.

Reginald Mungomer,...