French plan giant illegal Californian bullfrogs cull

[emad]

French countryside hit by a massive invasion of frogs
By John Lichfield in Paris
Published: 21 August 2005

A campaign in France to exterminate frogs may sound like the beginning of a civil war, but these are no ordinary frogs.

Hunters working for the government's wildlife agency will be stalking ponds in south-west France this weekend, aimed with flash-lights, rifles, silencers and night-vision sights.

They have been mobilised for the most intensive effort so far to terminate a plague of giant Californian bullfrogs which is threatening to disrupt the ecology of the Gironde, Dordogne and several other départements.

The aggressive and voracious bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), introduced illegally 37 years ago, can grow to more than 4lbs in weight and almost 2ft long. It consumes other frogs, fish, lizards and even small birds.

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article307312.ece

[babylonsister]

1. M-m-m-m, sauteed frog legs! nt

[NV Whino]

2. Gee I thought we had French bull frogs here.

[Coventina]

3. That is a really poorly written headline

It would be much better if it read: French Plan Cull of Illegal Bullfrogs

I mean just leave the "Californian" descriptor out and put it in the article.

As it reads now, it sounds like the French are trying to sneak over to California to kill frogs!

[trof]

4. ribbit