4 minute read
Thacher Magazine - Spring/Summer 2023
Toad to Toad
Far from Ojai, an extra special, extra large toad makes headlines.
It was a late January day in northeastern Australia when Conway National Park Ranger Kylee Gray and her team stopped their vehicle to let a snake slither across the track and happened upon something shocking: a nearly six-pound cane toad.
Believed to be female and the largest toad on record (the current Guinness World Record was set in 1991 by the 5.13 pound Prinsen, a pet toad in Sweden), the rangers worked quickly to remove it from the wild because a cane toad of that size will eat “anything it can fit into its mouth.”
Contrary to the traits of the toad that led Thacher to adopt it as its mascot—unassuming humility and quiet persistence—the cane toad has become an invasive and noxious species in Australia. Instead of mitigating against the beetle problem they were originally introduced to control, they have been negatively impacting the Australian wildlife. Thus, to the great disappointment of toad fans near and far, this toad, named Connie by the rangers, but known now as Toadzilla worldwide, was euthanized and sent to the Queensland Museum for further analysis.
Word of Toadzilla traveled quickly, making its way to Ojai and the news feeds of a number of Thacher community members who reached out to Interim Head of School Jeff Hooper to share the news. In turn, Mr. Hooper put pen to paper in a letter to Ranger Gray to share the particular importance of her discovery within our small community:
HE WROTE:
Dear Ms. Gray,
In general, the receipt of emails is not among my favorite parts of my current position. However, this past week my inbox was brightened with not one, not two, but three different emails whose subject line was simply Toadzilla. Indeed, your exploits found their way across the globe to our little school in Southern California. Your discovery of Toadzilla/Connie had particular resonance here as our school mascot is the Toad.
While there is a university in my home state of Texas that has the Horned Frog (which is actually a lizard but is also sometimes called a horned toad) as its mascot, I’m unaware of any other school opting for the toad. Thus, we feel a particular interest in your surprising discovery and, I must admit, a bit of guilt over the unfortunate outcome of the introduction of cane toads to your fine continent. We treasure our mascot for its unassuming humility, and we regret the opportunistic and aggressive habits of the cane toads in Australia. We are working diligently to teach the Toads of today the importance of ecological equilibria and the perils of invasive species.
Speaking of unfortunate outcomes, we support and regret the decision to euthanize Toadzilla, as you surely know how best to care for Conway National Park’s overall health. While we generally celebrate the longevity and good health of Toads, we also believe that they should take up residence only where their presence is welcome, sustainable, and appropriate.
In closing, and on behalf of our entire community, I’m delighted to offer this small gift to commemorate your historic discovery. Should your travels ever bring you stateside, we’d be honored to welcome you to campus.
With Toadal Respect,
Jeff Hooper, Interim Head of School
While unfortunately one extra large toad was (by necessity) hurt in the making of this story, we are pleased to have made new friends down under who share our love of toads—big, small, human, and amphibian.
A couple of months, one returned package, and some persistence later, Ranger Gray received our letter and small gift and responded to say that, while the media attention was overwhelming in some ways, the contact from Thacher was “the most heartwarming and exciting part of it.”
