Cane Toads: An Unnatural History
- 1988
- 47m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
A documentary detailing the spread of Hawaiian sugar-cane toads through Australia in a botched effort to introduce them as counter pests.A documentary detailing the spread of Hawaiian sugar-cane toads through Australia in a botched effort to introduce them as counter pests.A documentary detailing the spread of Hawaiian sugar-cane toads through Australia in a botched effort to introduce them as counter pests.
- Director
- Writer
- Stars
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 1 nomination total
Photos
H.W. Kerr
- Self - Director of the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations, 1933-1943
- (as Dr H.W. [Bill] Kerr)
Glen Ingram
- Self - Senior Curator Amphibia and Birds, Queensland Museum
- (as Dr Glen Ingram)
Rob Floyd
- Self - Animal Ecologist
- (as Dr Rob Floyd)
Max Ackland
- Self - Mulgrave Shire Council
- (as Councillor Max Ackland)
Bob Endean
- Self - Associate Professor of Zoology, Queensland University
- (as Dr Bob Endean)
Mike Archer
- Self - Associate Professor of Zoology, University of N.S.W.
- (as Dr. Michael Archer)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- Crazy creditsMouse sequence filmed during regular feeding routine at Kurunda Wildlife Gardens.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Minus Man (1999)
- SoundtracksCane Toad Blues
by Tim Finn
Featured review
Packs a punch
"When you look at our imports, what we brought into Australia, this must have been a great country long before the white man came to the joint. We brought in foxes and hares and then to cap it all off, we bring this monstrous thing called a toad in."
Great footage of these fascinating creatures breeding and eating, informative, and another tale of mankind mucking around with the natural order of things without proper consideration, to disastrous effect. The hubris of believing in the simple fix prescribed by entomologist Raquel Dexter at a conference in Puerto Rico in 1932 to help the sugar cane industry, and the long-lasting consequences, are depressing to consider. It's also ironic that the cane beetle problem was not addressed in the slightest in this importation of a new species, and was later handled with pesticide. While it's interesting that many of the residents of Queensland view the toads as friends and live harmoniously with them (like Elvie Grieg, that elderly woman who feeds them and says that if anyone tried to hurt one around her, there "would be a lot of noise, and they would realize I wasn't a lady"), the clear-eyed views of others, pointing out that native species die off from the deadly toxins emitted by the toads, is sobering. As predicted, the situation has gotten worse in the 35 years since this film was made. This one packs a punch in its 49 minutes.
Great footage of these fascinating creatures breeding and eating, informative, and another tale of mankind mucking around with the natural order of things without proper consideration, to disastrous effect. The hubris of believing in the simple fix prescribed by entomologist Raquel Dexter at a conference in Puerto Rico in 1932 to help the sugar cane industry, and the long-lasting consequences, are depressing to consider. It's also ironic that the cane beetle problem was not addressed in the slightest in this importation of a new species, and was later handled with pesticide. While it's interesting that many of the residents of Queensland view the toads as friends and live harmoniously with them (like Elvie Grieg, that elderly woman who feeds them and says that if anyone tried to hurt one around her, there "would be a lot of noise, and they would realize I wasn't a lady"), the clear-eyed views of others, pointing out that native species die off from the deadly toxins emitted by the toads, is sobering. As predicted, the situation has gotten worse in the 35 years since this film was made. This one packs a punch in its 49 minutes.
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- gbill-74877
- Dec 10, 2023
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Top Gap
By what name was Cane Toads: An Unnatural History (1988) officially released in Canada in English?
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