To protect freshwater crocodiles from deadly invasive cane toads, scientists at Macquarie University collaborated with Bunuba Indigenous rangers and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) in Western Australia. The team came up with a strategy that proved successful: They taught wild crocodiles to associate cane toads with a bout of food poisoning.

Read about the project at my Animal Minds blog: A Surprising Way to Fight Invasive Species.

Every year of schooling increases life expectancy, according to an analysis of hundreds of scientific studies from around the world. More years of education leads to longer lives, regardless of age or socio-demographic background.

Read more about the study at the Science Journal for Kids: Does education affect how long we live?

Arash Salavitabar, MD, director of The Heart Center XR Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, believes extended reality (XR) has the potential to revolutionize how clinicians, trainees and patients understand congenital heart disease. With colleagues at Nationwide Children’s and around the world, he is working to integrate and validate the impact of XR on patient experience, training and procedural preparation.

Read more: Extended Reality Offers New Ways to View Congenital Heart Disease.

Increasing urbanization has crowded out many wild animals. But raccoons appear to be thriving, living in cities across the country and even expanding their historical range. To investigate what underlies their ability to adapt, Lauren Stanton Sarah Benson-Amram combined a brand-new cognitive test for wild raccoons with modern technology. Their findings suggest that raccoons’ problem-solving skills may help them meet the challenges of urban life.

Read more at my Animal Minds blog: City Raccoons Are Sophisticated Problem-Solvers.

Researchers have documented a record-breaking swim by two lion brothers in western Uganda. The pair was observed multiple times swimming nearly 1 mile to cross the predator-infested Kazinga channel—a feat made even more impressive by the fact that one of the lions is missing a leg.

Read more at my Animal Minds blog: Lion Brothers Make Record-Breaking Long-Distance Swim.