A conservation programme for some of the world’s most bizarre and unusual creatures has been launched by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). Species like the bumblebee bat and the pygmy hippopotamus will be protected under the Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (Edge) project. The scheme targets animals with unique evolutionary histories that are facing a real risk of extinction. The ZSL says many of these species are ignored by existing conservation plans. The Society defines Edge animals as having few close relatives, genetically distinct, and require immediate action to save them from extinction. ‘One-of-a-kind’ ‘People have been talking about one-of-a-kind species being particularly important for conservation for a long time, but it has been very difficult to integrate them into conservation planning,’ Jonathan Baillie, the programme’s lead scientist, told BBC News. ‘This is the first global-scale programme where we have been able to do it.’ This has been made possible because of the development of a taxonomic ‘super tree’ that shows the relationship between different species. EDGE ‘FOCAL SPECIES’ FOR 2007 Pygmy hippopotamus (Image: ZSL) Pygmy hippopotamus Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna Hispaniolan solenodon Bactrian camel Yangtze River dolphin Slender loris […]