This Issue:

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

Wild and Weird

-- By Claudia Atticot

Very few humans have ever seen a pygmy hippopotamus, a bumblebee bat or a slender loris. These are among the rarest mammals in the world. But people who have spotted such wondrous animals will never forget it. These creatures areówell, pretty darn strange.

Last week, scientists from the Zoological Society of London, in Britain, announced the launch of a project aimed at preserving these unique creatures. One hundred of the world's weirdest, rarest mammalsóthose with the fewest living relatives-made the list of animals that need protection. In some cases, the animal being protected may be the only one of its kind left in the world. The program, called EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered), begins by focusing on 10 of the most severely threatened species.

Scientists believe that the Yangtze river dolphin, or baiji (bye-jee), might be the rarest of the animals on the list. A recent survey of the Yangtze to find the dolphins came up empty. "Sadly, it may already be too late for this species," Ben Collen, a scientist on the EDGE team, told TFK. "It is likely that there are very few left."

Other rare animals that EDGE hopes to protect include the bactrian camel, the hirola antelope and the golden-rumped elephant shrew, which is the size of a rabbit.

The EDGE team urges the public to do its part to help save the animals from extinction. "We have to act now to help conserve these one-of-a-kind species," says Collen. "If we don't, the world will probably lose them forever."

Next: What's with the Weather?