Brisbane may be infested with cane toads, but the city's council is trying to keep the pest out of the few coastal Queensland locations that are yet to be invaded.
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Moreton Island is considered cane toad-free and the council spends about $30,000 a year trying to keep it that way.
The poisonous toad is considered a serious threat to other animals and kills native fish and reptiles as it is highly toxic to most animals when swallowed.
The council’s environment chairman, David McLachlan, said the council was adhering to Commonwealth legislation to prevent cane toad-free areas becoming infested.
“Basically the horse has bolted on cane toads,” he said.
“Cane toads aren’t an invasive species under the Biodiversity Act so we don’t try to get rid of them because they are everywhere, but you can keep them out of areas where they could potentially be a threat to a species.
“The specific program is the threat abatement plan, so the plan says there are areas they haven’t got to and it's your job to stop them getting there.”
Cr McLachlan said the size of Brisbane's cane toad population was unreportable, as they were everywhere.
“Cane toads have been in Australia for more than 80 years, and in Brisbane since the mid-1930s,” he said.
“While cane toads are established and widespread on the mainland, council has been able to ensure the species is kept off Moreton Island.”
Council confirmed one live toad was found by a detection dog at the island's wrecks campground in 2015, and dead cane toads had been found washed up on the western side of the island.
Toad detection dogs, as well as testing water bodies for cane toad DNA, are two ways the council tries to keep the island cane toad free.
It is impossible for cane toads to get to Moreton Island unassisted, so humans would be responsible if they made their way onto the island.
Stowaway cane toads in camping equipment and cars could make their way from the mainland to the island.
The council has installed electronic signs at the barge carparks encouraging residents to ‘check your load for a toad’ and ‘keep cane toads of Moreton Island’.
Anybody who finds a cane toad on Moreton island should report it to Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
