The toad was taken to a Tamworth vet clinic after being discovered by young locals in North Tamworth, LLS said.

The discovery comes after a pair of cane toads were found in Glen Innes in February.

At the time, the LLS warned the duo could be the vanguard of a larger invasion and asked the community to be on the lookout.

Pest animals team leader Mark Tarrant said at the time recent solid rainfall had "unfortunately" created the perfect conditions for toads.

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"We don't want them to make themselves at home here," he said, calling on the community to "be vigilant".

The cane toad was introduced into the sunshine state by a Queensland government in 1935, creating one of Australia's worst ever pest problems.

There are about 200 million toads in Australia, and the poisonous pests continue to advance southwards dozens of kilometres a year.

Any sightings of the pest species in Tamworth must be reported, because the city falls into a biosecurity zone.

LLS said they didn't know which "biosecurity warriors" had made the find, but urged them to get in contact so they could say thanks and find out more about the discovery.

Residents should wear protective gloves and eyewear when handling a cane toad, which can extrude and sometimes squirt poison from glands behind the head, LLS said.

The animal should be collected and held in a closed, well-ventilated, non-toxic container, with some water. They advise not to immediately harm or kill the toad, which can be mistaken for harmless native frogs.

Sightings can be reported to LLS at 1300 795 299 or to the NSW Department of Primary Industries by calling 1800 680 244 or emailing invasive.species@dpi.nsw.gov.au

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