A site called EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct & Globally Endangered) is working to save some “uncharismatic” species of mammals from extinction.
EDGE species have few close relatives and are extremely distinct in the way they look, live and behave. These unique species are also on the verge of extinction, and if they disappear there will be nothing like them left on the planet.They have a “Top 100” list of mammals receiving little or no conservation attention by the mainstream with a gauge indicating the amount of conservation efforts currently focused on each animal.
Some EDGE species, such as elephants and pandas are
well known, but others, such as the Yangtze river dolphin
(the world's rarest cetacean), the bumblebee bat (the smallest mammal on earth) and the egg-laying long-beaked echidnas, remain poorly understood.
Recent studies indicate that almost 75 per cent of the world’s most extraordinary threatened mammals are receiving little or no conservation attention.Do check out this site, and consider donating. Not everybody can be a giant panda, after all. Link
If these species go extinct, they will be lost forever. There are no similar animals on earth to replace them.
