Australian researchers have tried to train endangered species to not eat poisonous large toads. It seems to be working.

The challenge, explained Dr Webb, was that the toads have very large toxin glands in their shoulders, primarily containing chemicals called bufadienolides, which can very quickly induce a cardiac arrest.

“The quolls see the toad as a big frog,” he explained.

“It looks good to eat, so they just pounce on it and get a fatal dose of toxin. There’s no chance they can learn from the encounter.”

Now they are being trained by a bad experience from toad-meat that will not kill them. The researchers have worked before with feral cats. Next the question becomes whether this would work for species such as coyotes and wolves.