"An Unnatural History"
In June 1935, 101 cane toads were delivered to a town in North Queensland, Australia, in the belief they would eliminate the greybeetle, which was threatening the sugar cane crop.
Problem was, the beetles could fly; the cane toads couldn’t. Beetles were only in the field when the sugar cane was high; the toads couldn’t reach them.
The toads might have been a failure at controlling pests, but they were successful in another area: breeding. Within six months, there were an estimated 60,000 toads in Australia’s sugar-producing regions.
A few weeks ago, we watched “Cane Toads – An Unnatural History,” a 1987 documentary that tells the story of the cane toad from every angle imaginable. The cane toad is shown in all its glory, mating in the middle of the road, hopping across doorsteps at night, gulping down a mouse, or being used by a toddler as a toy.
Mark Lewis, who directed the film, employs a great deal of humor, relying on simple, plain spoken residents who have strong feelings about the venomous creature: They either love them or they hate them.
Most of all, “An Unnatural History” is a cautionary tale of what can happen when humans meddle with the environment by introducing non-native animals and plants.