The issue of invasive species throughout the world is often overlooked. According to the National Resource Defense Council, from 1961 to 1995, a new species was introduced to San Francisco Bay every 14 weeks. These invasive creatures displace native species, using up important resources whereby disrupting existing ecosystems.

This phenomenon is occurring worldwide, particularly in Australia. When thinking of camels, the first location that comes to mind is probably the Middle East. However, the largest population of wild camels is located in Australia. The camel, often touted as a useful animal for transport across the desert, actually poses a risk to the welfare of the Australian outback.

The first camel was brought to Australia from the Canary Islands in 1840. By the early 20th century, they were regularly imported from India and Pakistan. Camels were used in Australia for a variety of purposes, including the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line and the Goldfields Water Supply, to move wool, and to assist in building.

However, according to the Animal Welfare Institute, "Millions of cattle, sheep, goats, domestic camels and yaks have come to dominate the ecology of grasslands wherever they exist, often eliminating native species of wild perennial grasses that anchored the soil with their extensive root systems. In their place, annual plants and exotic species of grasses now dominate many grassland environments."

A MUCH more severe offender in Australia is the cane toad. Until 1935, toads were non-existent Australia; but after reports of successful cane beetle population control via the cane toad in the Caribbean and Australia, loads of toads were sent into Gordonvale, Australia.

It was soon discovered that the cane toad didn't possess measurable abilities to eradicate the pests. "[The toads] can't jump very high so they did not eat the cane beetles which stayed up on the upper stalks of the cane plants," reports the Frog Decline Reversal Project (FDRP). "At the time of year when the beetle's larvae were emerging from the ground, no toads were about. So the cane toad, as it came to be known, had no impact on the cane beetles at all, and farmers had to go back to the use of chemicals to kill the beetle."

Now, due to their rapid breeding, Australia is infested with these toads; and because of their toxicity, animals that consume these toads, or their offspring [tadpoles], will immediately die. According to the FDRP, these toads even cause small amounts of water, such as dogs' water bowls, to become toxic.

Thus, these amphibians have caused the decline of many native Australian species. The Australian government has spent millions of dollars on manipulating a disease to kill them. Unfortunately, if this venture goes wrong, it could have devastating effects on other wildlife species.

The problem with invasive species affects areas throughout the world; the cane toads and camels in Australia provide extreme examples. What can be done to contradict this unnatural acclimation of animals? Without action, the term 'native species' might just become a textbook definition.