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Mining giant joins fight to stop killer toad march across Australia

BBC Business·
Mining giant joins fight to stop killer toad march across Australia

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Rio Tinto is ploughing millions of dollars into stopping the poisonous cane toad reaching the Pilbara region of western Australia, where the mining giant has a vast iron ore operation.

The firm, alongside Curtin University in Perth and others, will spend A$28m (£14.5m) building a "toad containment zone" to prevent the pest travelling south.

While the cane toad is not a direct threat to Rio Tinto's business, it produces toxins lethal to native wildlife and poses a threat to Pilbara's ecosystem.

Rio Tinto has previously faced criticism for destroying two sacred Aboriginal rock shelters in Pilbara which sat above tonnes of iron ore.

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