Program Aims to Save the "Mona Lisas" of the Animal World

pygmy hippopotamus
The pygmy hippopotamus is one of the EDGE "Focal Species" of 2007.

A new program from the Zoological Society of London is working to identify and protect some of the world's “most bizarre and unusual animals,” according to a news release from the group. The EDGE of Existence program focuses exclusively on species that are “Evolutionarily Distinct & Globally Endangered,” or animals that have few close relatives, are genetically distinct, and are extremely endangered. Of the top 100 EDGE mammals currently listed‚Äîamong them the bumblebee bat, the pygmy hippopotamus, and the Bactrian camel‚Äîtwo-thirds receive little-to-no conservation attention.

The development of a taxonomic “super tree” demonstrating the relationships between different species has made the new EDGE categorization possible, the BBC reports. “This is the first global-scale programme specifically developed to focus on these one-of-a-kind and highly threatened animals,” the project's lead scientist, Dr. Jonathan Baillie, explains. Of 564 identified EDGE species, the program will focus initially on the top 100 mammals, highlighting only the top 10 in the first year. The Zoological Society hopes to launch a similar scheme for amphibians in the near future.

The project's conservation efforts will include evaluating each species in its natural habitat and then involving students local to these areas as “EDGE conservation fellows” to engage in research to help shape protection strategies. Dr. Baillie hopes the project will raise awareness of the many dangers the rare species face, including habitat loss, hunting, and predation by introduced mammals. “They represent entire lineages. If you were to think about EDGE species in terms of the art world, it would be like losing a Mona Lisa‚Äîthey are totally irreplaceable and unique,” he told the BBC. The new program will be funded mainly by grants and through online donations through the group's website.


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