A CANE toad caught recently in New Providence.
By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
CANE toad sightings have re-emerged in parts of New Providence, officials revealed yesterday.
“Residents and business establishments in the northern and central areas of New Providence are advised that sightings of the invasive cane toad have been reported in nearby communities,” the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources said in a statement.
The statement was issued in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Health and the Department of Environmental Protection and Planning.
Officials provided a few pointers in dealing with the animals.
“It must be noted that the handling of cane toads with bare hands should be discouraged as the venom produced from these animals is an irritant to the skin. Ingestion of the venom is also toxic to humans and deadly to pets.
“Assistance is needed by the public to limit the spread of these animals by removing sitting water sources and forming a chemical barrier around properties and within landscapes. A chemical barrier can be created by using a spray solution composed of two cups of Dettol/Savlon to one cup of water. Please be advised that early morning and late evenings are the best times to spray the solution.
“Be advised that pets that have had direct contact with a cane toad should be taken immediately to your local veterinarian. Signs of direct contact include salivation, frothing at the mouth, red slimy gums, vomiting and tremors.”
If you see a cane toad or have any questions or concerns, the statement advised persons to contact the Department of Agriculture at (242) 325-1173 or the Department of Environmental Health at (242) 322-8037 or use the “BESTPROTECT242” app to notify the government of the presence of the toads.
In August 2020, it was reported that the Bahamas National Trust in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Environmental Health and the BEST Commission had captured 392 toads as of July 21.
Scott Johnson, science officer for avian and terrestrial Matters at Bahamas National Trust, previously told The Tribune the species was first discovered in Lyford Cay in 2013.
“These cane toads are toxic,” he said in a previous interview. “They produce bufotoxin which is a potent toxin that affects the heart. It can be problematic to humans. And, the creatures that are most at risk are native wildlife and pets, especially dogs.”
Comments
John 3 years, 4 months ago
How Toad Licking Gets You High (And Then Kills You): Toad licking has long been recognized as a stupid, risky way to try to get high. But do you know the biochemistry that determines how stupid and risky it actually, and how high you could get. Let's squeeze some toads. The first problem with toad licking is that it isn't just any toad that will get you high. The most famous culprit — one that has sent a lot of dogs on bad trips — is the cane toad. It and its general family, the family bufonidae, will secrete the stuff that can be sniffed, injected, or ingested to get people hallucinating.
The stuff itself is called 5-methoxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine. The chemical gets into the body and acts as a serotonin agonist, binding to serotonin receptors.
John 3 years, 4 months ago
They bring their habits with them #foreigners, ok #someforeigners
Dawes 3 years, 4 months ago
Which foreigners? Seeing as everyone here is at one point a foreigner.
themessenger 3 years, 4 months ago
@john, don’t know what you licking but it got toads beat hands down you racist, xenophobic toad.
John 3 years, 4 months ago
stop bringing your mother into the conversation
bahamianson 3 years, 4 months ago
2 cups of dettol to 1 cup of water? Thats stupid. Why put the water? What they want to say is 2 tbs Dettol to 1 cup water. Makes more sense.
bahamianson 3 years, 4 months ago
The messenger, your CNN comments are really over the top. You should not call people names. Set the example and stop CNNing
themessenger 3 years, 4 months ago
@bahamianson, john is a well known hater of white people and foreigners in particular, which rock did you just crawl from under and what on earth does CNN have to do with any of that?
John 3 years, 4 months ago
Firstly, I hardly know any white people to hate on. Secondly I speak out against foreigners when I feel Bahamians are being discriminated against in the favor of foreigners. THIRDLY 99,99% of what you messenger, and you cohorts post is anti-Bahamian. You'all or yinna always posting disparaging remarks about Bahamians, belittling them in some shape or form, But you take offence because I say that some people, who are not Bahamian, engage in the practice of licking toads.. cane toads to be more specific Just like some eat wild mushrooms and hallucinate for days, weeks sometimes. You went on to qualify my post to say that the people who engage in this practice are white. I have no knowledge of this, Neither can I verify your statement So maybe you know more than I do .Actually i thought it was the foreigners from JaBim, but no, Messenger says they are white! I am not antiBahamian and I know no white people personally to be racist against. YOU.all are offended that I am pro-Bahamian and proudly so, D average and all! Kicked of our own beach and all that.
John 3 years, 4 months ago
and themessinger posting under different names doesn'tmahe him/her any more credible
themessenger 3 years, 4 months ago
@john, I never said anything about white people licking toads although I did call you a toad and a few other well deserved sobriquets. I don’t know how many or how few white folks you know or don’t know but you have a well documented history of railing against people of the fairer complexion. Perhaps a few mushrooms or,yes,a few licks of your toad might help to ease da tension ma brudda.
John 3 years, 4 months ago
You are obviously an idiot. You are the one here pretending to be a Bahamian but use every opportunity to spew hate, despise and belittle Bahamians. Now you trying to play the race card to justify your attack on me because I posted facts: that people do lick toads to become high. Don’t ever ever obscure your vision and take me for a toad dude. I don’t roll like that!
John 3 years, 4 months ago
PS and if you are now admitting you are white, not only are you anti/Bahamian, but you are most definitely a racist. And that’s how racist go. Whenever someone try stand up for their rights and not be trampled on , they pull the race card and pretend to be the victim. But as long as you come here and post your disparaging remarks, unfettered it’s ok. NOT dude! If you lick toads to get high, that’s your rights. Too bad you have such a miserable life.
themessenger 3 years, 4 months ago
Bey, you is da easiest ass in da world to wind up, that D average you so proud of prominently displayed. You can't run from how you talk bad bout white people and foreigners all the time, when you ain beatin up Marvin Dames. Now you could bring my Ma back in da conversation like you is always do wid ya stink mout, sudgy bungy seff, you need some paper in ya out house instead a dem almond leaf you is use along wid ya toads, sometimes you need to sit small an STFU.
John 3 years, 4 months ago
Yankee go home. You can’t take the heat dude: ‘ 44 (A)You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. (B)He was a murderer from the beginning, and (C)does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. (D)When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.’
John 3 years, 4 months ago
Yankee go home
John 3 years, 4 months ago
And as part of their FAKE WAR on DRUGS which was actually a war on Black people, they hired people like the messenger to ensure the media portrayed Black folk in some negative way. If you go back through the newspapers for the 1980’s and 1990’s you will see young Bahamian men, chained and shackled ( not unlike the times of slavery) being dragged before the courts. And their crime possession of or conspiracy to traffick dangerous drugs aka ‘cane toads’ no marijuana and they spend the better part of the rest of their lives having to shuffle back and forth to court to even get some sense of normalcy in their lives. But Fentanyl had killed more Americans than any other street drug. And it is being mostly distributed by trained and licensed doctors and likewise pharmacies. Where is the chains and shackles for these drug traffickers? The security of one of the most secure compounds in the country has been breached, EIGHT Bahamians were gunned down in broad daylight, six being killed. A home was invaded in the heat of the night and Bahamians slaughtered in their sleep. Bahamians after spending sixteen months in lockdown and curfew are being barred off Bahamian beaches and being denied an opportunity to make an honest living. And he licking poison toads for fun. You can’t be serious.
John 3 years, 4 months ago
PS: I don’t beat up on Marvin Dames. He is a public figure, being paid by ‘D’ average Bahamian taxpayers. We therefore, call Marvin Dames to account and to be accountable. And I hope Marvin Dames acknowledged your veiled threat.
themessenger 3 years, 4 months ago
Lmao 🤣 🤣 I
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