Scientists aim to save lesser-known mammals

Some of the planet's rarest and most unusual animals will be the focus of an ambitious conservation project launched today by British scientists. The plan will focus on animals traditionally overlooked by conservationists, and will allow the public to track and donate to individual projects via a new website.



Led by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the Edge project has identified 100 species of mammals that have the fewest relatives left alive in the wild, making them the world's most genetically-unique mammals. The 10 most endangered, including the Yanghtze river dolphin and bumblebee bat, will be the focus of the first year's work. The aim is to prevent hundreds of unique species from sliding unnoticed towards extinction.

Many of the animals on the Edge list have been overlooked because they come from poorly-explored regions or species groups where scientists have had had little interest.