Discovering a larger version of an animal can be frightening and exhilarating at the same time. In the name of science, rangers in Australia found a huge nearly six-pound cane toad at a national park.
Conway National Park rangers in Queensland, Australia, made the discovery of the large toad when they stopped their vehicle for a snake crossing on a road near Airlie Beach. They spotted the “monster cane toad” in a nearby area.
“I reached down and grabbed the cane toad and couldn’t believe how big and heavy it was,” ranger Kylee Gray said.
The rangers got a kick out of the discovery and nicknamed the animal “Toadzilla.” They removed it from the park due to the danger it could pose to the environment and contacted the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.
“A cane toad that size will eat anything it can fit into its mouth, and that includes insects, reptiles and small mammals,” Gray said.
The large toad, which is believed to be a female, weighed in at 5.9 pounds, which could be a new record for the species. “I’m not sure how old she is, but cane toads can live up to 15 years in the wild — so this one has been around a long time. We’re pleased to have removed her from the national park,” Gray said.
The Queensland Museum has since shown interest in the animal and has potential plans to take the toad for further study.