Australia may be on the verge of total subjugation by cane toads which locals fear have now developed the ability to hitchhike on lorries.

According to The Scotsman, an example of the monster toad turned up in a Melbourne drain - quite some distance from their northern stomping ground where they have, since their ill-advised introduction in 1935 to combat native cane beetles, swelled to 200 million individuals advancing 40km per year.

Indeed, since the 1930s they have marched some 3,000 km from Northern Queensland to threaten Darwin, in the process decimating local fauna including snakes, goanna lizards and quolls (a cat-sized marsupial). Despite Oz's best efforts to stem the tide, it now seems inevitable that Australians will eventually have to bow to their toad masters.

In the meantime, we suggest Down Under's road hauliers might be able to give the Lucky Country a couple more years of freedom by simply not offering lifts to toads. ®

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