A cane toad so giant wildlife officers thought it was fake has been found in a north Australian rainforest. The “monster” specimen is six times bigger than the average toad, weighs 2.7kg, and could break a world record. /Department of Environment and Science/

Dubbed “Toadzilla”, the animal was quickly placed in a container and removed from the wild, weighed in at 2.7kg. Toads – which were first introduced to Australia in 1935 – are one of the country’s most damaging pests and are now estimated to number over 2 billion. DES

When park ranger Kylee Gray first spotted the massive amphibian while out on patrol in Queensland, she couldn’t believe her eyes. “I’ve never seen anything so big,” she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. /Department of Environment and Science/

Toadzilla has since been euthanised, as is standard practice in Australia for the pests, and will be donated to the Queensland Museum. /AAP Image/Supplied by Department of Environment and Science/