This photo of Queensland bushland may look lush and green but experts warn there is an “aggressive” pest which “strangles everything in its path” lurking on the surface.
Transport and Main Roads Queensland posted the image on its Facebook page on Friday with the simple caption: “There’s something very aggressive in this photo … If you know where to look.”
The statement left plenty of punters stumped.
“Totally didn’t see that one coming,” said one commenter.
“I was looking for a drop bear,” said another
The department revealed the image was of the invasive cat’s claw vine which can have devastating effects on the ecosystem.
While its yellow flowers may look beautiful, experts warn it can choke waterways and kill off competing flora.
“When the seeds on the Cats Claw Vine are spread by wind and water, it aggressively strangles everything in its path, including waterways and rainforests,” the post said.
“Unfortunately, the vine’s causing issues for rainforests and bushlands in NSW and Queensland, degrading land and impacting threatened fauna species, like the Mary River Cod.”
The government wants the community to be aware as it struggles to hold it back.
On Queensland’s Fraser Coast, the government is working with Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee to release 15,000 beetles and bugs to control its spread.
“The problem of tackling cats claw is one of manpower,” the department said.
“There just aren’t enough hands on deck to cut back and spray the vine and so local landcare groups have turned to the insect world for help.”
According to the Queensland department of agriculture, the best way to control cat’s claw is to prune and hack the vine at the base and to use pesticide.
