A tiny Japanese island once tried a quick fix for its pest problem. It backfired. According to the study, ‘Methods for invasive species control are transferable across invaded areas,’ published in PLOS ONE by researchers at Kyoto University and the University of Sydney, a handful of cane toads released on Ishigaki Island in 1978 turned into a full-blown invasion. What began as a pest-control measure in sugar cane fields became a threat to native wildlife.
How a dozen toads turned into an army
