Darwin accountant trades tax for cane toad taxidermy
There are 531 dead cane toads in Darwin resident Mithram Selvaratnam's freezer. The accountant who traded numbers for taxidermy will have some of them wearing Santa hats by Christmas.
Darwin accountant Mithram Selvaratnam has found an unusual way to make a living - turning dead cane toads into taxidermy souvenirs. By Christmas, some of the 531 dead toads in his backyard freezers will even be dressed up in Santa hats. Selvaratnam, who left Malaysia to study accounting in Australia 16 years ago, began his quirky business after growing tired of the corporate life.
Initially purchasing toads from a taxidermist in Queensland, he now hunts them himself at golf courses and gardens. Cane toads pose a significant threat to native species by producing toxins that can be deadly when consumed. Wildlife park ranger Luke Hare estimates there could be hundreds of thousands of cane toads in the Territory Wildlife Park.
In addition to toads, Selvaratnam also tans crocodile skulls for his business, which he now runs alongside other taxidermy ventures like barramundi heads.
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