<p>Early detection and rapid response (EDRR) is widely recognized as a key strategy for managing invasive species, yet well-documented early-stage outcomes remain uncommon. Following the first detection of a wild cane toad (<i>Rhinella marina</i>) population in central Taiwan in late 2021, a coordinated EDRR campaign was launched by the Society for Taiwan Amphibian Conservation in partnership with government agencies, research institutes, NGOs, amphibian volunteers, and local residents. The campaign integrated field removal, community reporting, volunteer training, real-time coordination through digital platforms, public outreach, and rapid legal control to reduce local abundance and slow geographic spread. From 2021 to 2024, over 48,000 toads were removed through sustained nightly searches, and adult removals declined after 2022 in previously occupied grids. Although detections occurred at new sites and occasional reappearances were observed, the invasion remained restricted to a limited area during the study period, consistent with partial containment within the 2021–2024 observation window. The EDRR framework was implemented at a relatively limited financial cost by leveraging long-term citizen science programs that had already built both the technical infrastructure and the social capacity for rapid deployment. Lessons from this case highlight how institutional learning from earlier unsuccessful campaigns, especially the spot-legged tree frog program, together with strengthened cross-sector coordination, enabled rapid response and social mobilization. By revealing persistent gaps in data integration and inter-agency coordination, this case underscores the need to institutionalize EDRR through a unified national authority and stable governance mechanisms. Taiwan’s experience provides a transferable model for community-based EDRR systems that can be rapidly deployed in complex, open landscapes.</p>