If freezing is not an option, the RSPCA recommends eugenol: https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-is-the-most-humane-way-to-kill-a-cane-toad/
this post was submitted on 08 Jan 2024
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The cool-and-freeze method involves placing cane toads in a fridge for 24 hours, which puts them in a state of torpor, before transferring them to the freezer to finish them off.
She said this was more humane than other methods of killing cane toads, such as bashing them with cricket bats or crushing them under cars.
Is it actually, though? A short, painful death via squashing or bashing seems a lot more humane to me than a 24 hours trapped in a plastic bag in a fridge. Is the definition of "humane" now just "whatever makes me feel less guilty"?
The issue with "bashing" is that it's very hard to ensure instantaneous death with blunt force.
Stepped hyperthermia is guaranteed humane, no matter who does it. You can't "miss" putting it in the fridge, whereas it's very easy for someone to misjudge a killing blow and leave the poor thing with multiple bone breaks to die slowly over many hours.
Also I don't think toads have much going on upstairs, so it's not like they're in the fridge having an existential crisis wondering what happens next, is there a god, am I going to heaven, etc. They're just sitting there in the quiet thinking about literally nothing when a bit of a cool change happens so they bruminate ready for the winter they think is coming.
The issue with “bashing” is that it’s very hard to ensure instantaneous death with blunt force.
But does it have to be instantaneous to be humane? I am assuming people beat the shit out of them here and not just hit it once and walk off. Can you think of any other pest where we just hit it once and leave it there to die slowly? It's normal to just kill things as quickly as possible so you can remove them as quickly as possible.
Also I don’t think toads have much going on upstairs, so it’s not like they’re in the fridge having an existential crisis wondering what happens next, is there a god, am I going to heaven, etc. They’re just sitting there in the quiet thinking about literally nothing
I'm not convinced that's true either. You're telling me an animal that has just been captured by a predator and placed in an unfamiliar environment with no means of escape isn't stressed at all? Again, this sounds like humans are just projecting whatever makes them feel better rather than accepting reality. I would rather live in reality and beat the shit out of the toad than the fantasy land where is just chilling in it's happy place and peacefully falling asleep like someone's great-grandma.
Sounds like you're trying to justify past cruelty to be honest.
I think @Ilandar is just trying to find a second best solution that's easier to do on the go. Like while hiking or camping.
Maybe they are thinking if it’s not a direct head squash, the animals body would be significantly injured and they would be in pain and die a slow death? But I agree, an instant precise head squash would in theory be quicker than putting them in a cold dark fridge for hours?
They never seemed to care about much of anything after a tap on the noggin with a spiked pole. I’m not sure if it was humane, but it was certainly effective.
I once tried to take out a cane toad with a crowbar to the head. The bar bounced off the toad and smashed me in the face. Cane toad hopped away like it was nothing.
Very true its not their fault they're here. But is it a greater evil to take a slow methodical approach and risk other animals suffering because they accidentally ate them?