Cane Toad Euthanasia (Sharp, Lothian, Munn & Saunders) - Standard Operating Procedure

Sep 15, 2026

Standard Operating Procedure for the euthanasia of cane toads (Bufo marinus) prepared for the Charles Darwin University Animal Ethics Committee. The SOP describes background rationale, risks from toxins, and the aim of promoting acceptable humane methods for killing and disposal by trained personnel. It outlines application limits (adult toads only), competency and training requirements, and an approved amendment allowing cooling followed by freezing under defined refrigeration and freezing durations, including confirmation of death prior to disposal.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages26

Reading Time1 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Application

General Animal Welfare Considerations

Charles Darwin University Animal Ethics Committee Standard Operating Procedure: Cane Toad Euthanasia (Sharp, Lothian, Munn & Saunders) | Date of Approval: | 3/9/2025 | | --- | --- | | Date for Review: | 3/9/2028 | NOTE: The CDU AEC approves the following SOP with the below amendment: Cooling followed by freezing is CONDITIONALLY ACCEPTABLE for the euthanasia of cane toads with the following stipulations: • A reliable method of refrigeration and freezing must be available. • Toads must be kept in a refrigerator at 4 degrees for an extended period (12 hours minimum) . • If toads show any signs of responsiveness, they should be placed back in the refrigerator at 4 degrees for another 12 hours. • Toads should be confirmed as unresponsive before being transferred to a freezer at minus 20 degrees for at least another 48 hours to ensure death. • Toads are confirmed as dead prior to disposal. CAN001 Methods for the field euthanasia of cane toads Prepared by Trudy Sharp1 , Andrew Lothian2 , Adam Munn2 & Glen Saunders 1 1Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, Industry & Investment NSW 2 School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong CAN001 – August 2011 Background The cane toad (Bufo marinus) is native to northern South America, parts of Central America and Southern Texas. It was deliberately imported from Hawaii in 1935 and introduced into Australia’s tropical north-east in an unsuccessful attempt to control the cane beetle, a damaging insect pest of sugarcane crops. The toads quickly established in the new environment and began to spread. Today, they inhabit most of the Australian tropics and sub-tropics and have reached Western Australia. Their great expansion can be attributed to the combination of being highly adaptable to a range of environmental and climatic conditions, high fecundity and also being highly unpalatable. Cane toads release potent toxins from their parotid glands as a defence strategy and predators who attempt to consume toads can be killed by ingestion of these toxins. Cane toad eggs also contain high levels of toxins and are also a danger to vertebrate predators. The direct impact of cane toads in Australia has been extensively studied and a review of this research has revealed that it is the lethal toxic ingestion of toads by frog-eating predators that is the major single mechanism of impact (Shine 2010). Although the cane toad has not been responsible for the extinction of any native species, some populations of predator species (varanid and scincid lizards, elapid snakes, freshwater crocodiles, and dasyurid marsupials) may be vulnerable, especially when toads first appear in anew area. However this negative impact can be variable and some of the taxa severely impacted by toad invasion recover within a few decades, via aversion learning and longer-term adaptive changes. The indirect impacts of toads such as food-web mediated effects are less understood and research is continuing in this area. The control of cane toads is challenging because of their wide-spread distribution, large population numbers, high breeding capacity, small size and burrowing behaviour. Years of investigation into potential biocontrol agents have not yet been successful and currently there is no effective tool for broad-scale reduction of toad populations. Therefore, in the short term, management focuses on frontline surveys and removal of toads. Removal involves the intensive collection of toads by hand, sometimes aided by traps and/or barrier/deflection fencing. This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) contains current best practice for the euthanasia (or humane killing) of cane toads. The recommendations are based on information in the literature as well as behavioural observations and time to death recorded in a project to examine the welfare impact on cane toads of a range of euthanasia techniques. The research was conducted at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong (UOW): ‘Ev

FAQs

What amendment does the CDU AEC approve for cane toad euthanasia using cooling and freezing?

Cooling followed by freezing is conditionally acceptable when a reliable refrigeration and freezing method is available. Toads must be refrigerated at 4°C for at least 12 hours, then moved to a freezer at -20°C for at least another 48 hours after confirming unresponsiveness, with an additional 12-hour refrigeration if any responsiveness is seen.

Who is allowed to perform the euthanasia procedures described in the SOP?

Procedures must be performed by competent or qualified persons for the methods, or under direct supervision of a competent person. Some methods require training and experience and should include understanding normal behaviour, handling effects, mechanisms leading to loss of consciousness and death, and recognizing pain and distress signs.

Does the SOP apply to all life stages of cane toads?

The methods described are for adult cane toads only. Methods suitable for tadpoles and juvenile cane toads have not yet been evaluated.

Sep 15, 2026

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