AT LAST, the secret hideaway of cane toads has been found.

In the largest investigation of its kind, scientists and council workers used radio tracking devices to uncover Sydney's first known breeding site for the pests: a pond in an industrial park in the Sutherland Shire.

Dr Matt Greenless with a female cane toad fitted with a radio transmitter to track its movements. Credit:Quentin Jones

And after tracking and capturing about 500 toads, scientists believe they have stopped the pests taking a foot-hold in the city.

The mayor of Sutherland, Phil Blight, said the occasional ''hitch-hiking'' cane toad had been found in the Taren Point industrial area over several years.