Scientists aim to save lesser-known mammals at risk of extinction
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. Jonathan Baillie of ZSL said the aim was to prevent hundreds of unique species from sliding unnoticed towards extinction...
The public can track the progress of the conservation effort and contribute through the project's website. "It's appealing to the general public through the website and identifying what needs to be done to empower people," said Dr Baillie. "It's one thing to tell people that species are threatened but it's another to provide solutions and allow them to get involved in the solution."
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