A plague of locusts sounds like the kind of biblical torment that we’ll never really need to worry about. But they’re real, they happen — and boy do they cause trouble.
This picture shows a plague of billions of locusts swarming the island of Madagascar, destroying crops and grazing lands as they go. Worse, the country is already on the brink of famine — and its 13 million inhabitants need things to change, fast.
Current estimates by the UN Food and Agriculture organisation suggest that $US22 million is required to bring the plague to a halt by the end of the month using insecticides, and a further $US19 million to prevent it recurring. So, umm, brace yourselves for that cicada invasion. [New Scientist]
Image by Bilal Tarabey/AFP/Getty