Beauty is more than fur deep. This is the message from the Zoological Society of London this New Year, as their EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct & Globally Endangered, bit like bloggers really) team fight to save some of the world's most endangered, least attractive animals.
If you're cute, furry, collectable, huggable, available in an anthropomorphic version or employed by Pixar then you're in with a chance of survival, natch. But if you're fur-less, possessed of a long proboscis, do unorthodox things with parts of your body or are just plain scary looking, then the chances are that you haven't got screaming groupies coo-ing over you. And if your habitat is threatened, then you're in a big pile of eco-dung. Monkeys, elephants, tigers, dolphins: these are the 'A' listers, each with a dozen celebs ready to endorse their figth for existence. But for the salamanders and gymnures of this world, it's a bit harder to drum up support.
The zoo's impressive initiative is trying to draw attention to global struggle for survival that so many species are facing. You can support them in direct ways, or simply through raised awareness of the creatures involved. Because, let's face it, few of us are oil paintings ourselves.
(Image/Matt from London)
