ZSL EDGE of Existence

ZSL EDGE of Existence EDGE of Existence works to save the most extraordinary, endangered, and neglected species on Earth

The EDGE of Existence Programme is the only global conservation initiative to focus on threatened species that represent a significant amount of unique evolutionary history.

🌳 Deep in Tanzania’s mountain forests, among towering trees and drifting mist, one little-known species is quietly holdi...
15/09/2026

🌳 Deep in Tanzania’s mountain forests, among towering trees and drifting mist, one little-known species is quietly holding on.

Meet Tanzanian botanist and conservation practitioner Fadhila Hassan Mtoi, an EDGE Fellow in the 2026 cohort.

Fadhila is working to protect Tetrorchidium ulugurense, a little-known tree confined to the humid montane forests of Tanzania’s Eastern Arc Mountains.

Its narrow range and dependence on moist, closed-canopy forest leave it vulnerable to agricultural encroachment, logging, firewood collection, shifting cultivation, wildfire, and climate change. Yet fundamental information about its population size, regeneration, and distribution remains scarce.

Fadhila will survey forests across the Uluguru and Nguru/Mkingu Mountains Nature Forest Reserves to estimate the tree’s density and population structure, map its distribution and identify potentially suitable habitat.

She’ll also work with nearby villages and schools to build awareness, while training young Tanzanian women in tree identification and forest monitoring to help them gain practical conservation experience and confidence in the field. 🌱

By combining ecological research with community participation, Fadhila will generate evidence for reserve management, future Red List assessments and the long-term monitoring of this overlooked tree.

ZSL’s EDGE of Existence Programme is proud to support her vital work in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Fondation Franklinia.

📍 Uluguru and Nguru/Mkingu Mountains Nature Forest Reserves, Morogoro Region, Tanzania
🔗 Learn more: https://www.edgeofexistence.org/fellow/fadhila-hassan-mtoi/
📸 Species image © Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

🐸🌎 Happy International Mountain Chicken Day! 🌎🐸Today we’re shining a spotlight on an EDGE species that is one of the Car...
13/09/2026

🐸🌎 Happy International Mountain Chicken Day! 🌎🐸

Today we’re shining a spotlight on an EDGE species that is one of the Caribbean’s most remarkable amphibians: the Critically Endangered Mountain Chicken Frog (Leptodactylus fallax).

***

🚨𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫!🚨
By Ella Jones, Ectotherm Keeper

Despite their unusual name, Mountain Chicken Frogs are not chickens at all. They earned their name because local people hunted them for food, with many saying their meat tasted similar to chicken.

Mountain Chicken Frogs are Critically Endangered, with populations devastated by chytridiomycosis, a deadly fungal disease that has caused amphibian declines around the world. The disease swept through Montserrat and Dominica, causing rapid population crashes and bringing the species close to extinction.

Despite this, small populations of Mountain Chicken Frogs still survive in the wild in Dominica, while conservation breeding and reintroduction programmes are working to restore this remarkable species across its native range.

One of the things I find most remarkable about this species is their unique breeding strategy. Instead of laying eggs directly in water, the female creates a foam nest where the eggs develop.

Even more impressive is the level of parental care shown by both adults. The male and female will actively guard their nest, and if a predator gets too close, they don’t back down. They have been known to physically headbutt intruders to defend their offspring! 🐸

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This International Mountain Chicken Day, let’s celebrate the remarkable Mountain Chicken Frog and the conservation efforts giving this incredible species hope for the future. 💚🐸

Species photos 📷© ZSL Herpetology Team

🐬🌊 Happy World Dolphin Day! 🌊🐬Dolphins are among the ocean’s most intelligent and social animals, found across oceans an...
12/09/2026

🐬🌊 Happy World Dolphin Day! 🌊🐬

Dolphins are among the ocean’s most intelligent and social animals, found across oceans and rivers around the world. Today, we celebrate their incredible diversity and the habitats they call home. 💙

✨ EDGE Species Spotlight: Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris)

With its rounded forehead, short beak, and distinctive appearance, the Irrawaddy Dolphin is unlike any other dolphin. Found in coastal waters, estuaries, and freshwater rivers across South and Southeast Asia, they are known for their gentle nature and characteristic surfacing behaviour.

Unlike most dolphins, Irrawaddy Dolphins can live in both marine and freshwater environments. However, they face growing threats from accidental entanglement in fishing gear, habitat degradation, pollution, boat traffic, and disturbance. Several populations are now critically small, making protection of their habitats and reduction of human-caused threats vital for their survival.

Protecting dolphins means protecting the healthy oceans and rivers they depend on. By reducing threats, safeguarding habitats, and supporting conservation efforts, we can help ensure these remarkable animals continue to thrive for generations to come. 🌊🐬

📷 Species credit: © RiverDoplphins.org

🐸 Deep in Ghana’s Atewa Forest, a frog found nowhere else is still holding on.Meet Ghanaian amphibian conservationist An...
10/09/2026

🐸 Deep in Ghana’s Atewa Forest, a frog found nowhere else is still holding on.

Meet Ghanaian amphibian conservationist Anthony Godbless Ameyaw Churcher, an EDGE Fellow in the 2026 cohort.

Anthony is working to better understand and protect the Critically Endangered Atewa Slippery Frog (Conraua sagyimase), found only in the upland streams of this unique forest landscape.

Small-scale gold mining removes vegetation and pollutes the water, while proposed bauxite mining threatens the upland forest. The southern sector of Atewa and potentially suitable streams beyond the reserve remain poorly studied, meaning important populations and possible refuges may still be unrecognised.
Anthony will map the frog’s distribution, search for additional populations, and work with artisanal miners and landowners to safeguard priority streams.

By combining ecological research, community engagement and conservation action, Anthony is helping build a future for a species found nowhere else on Earth.

ZSL’s EDGE of Existence Programme is proud to support his vital work.

📍 Southern Atewa Forest and surrounding lands, Eastern Region, Ghana
🔗 Learn more: https://www.edgeofexistence.org/fellow/anthony-godbless-ameyaw-churcher/
📸 Species image © Dr. Benjamin Tapley

🦎💚 Happy National Iguana Awareness Day! 💚🦎Meet one of the world’s most unique reptiles. Iguanas are an important part of...
08/09/2026

🦎💚 Happy National Iguana Awareness Day! 💚🦎

Meet one of the world’s most unique reptiles. Iguanas are an important part of the ecosystems they call home, from helping disperse seeds to shaping the vegetation around them.

✨ EDGE Species Spotlight: Pink Iguana (Conolophus marthae)

Found only on the slopes of Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island in the Galápagos, the Pink Iguana is one of the world’s rarest reptiles. With its distinctive pink colouring, this remarkable species is found nowhere else on Earth.

With such a tiny population and an extremely restricted range, the Pink Iguana is particularly vulnerable to threats and environmental change. Protecting its unique habitat is essential for its survival.

Protecting iguanas means safeguarding these incredible reptiles and the ecosystems they call home. By conserving their habitats and supporting their survival, we can help ensure they continue to thrive for generations to come. 💚🦎

Species 📷 Joshua Vela

We’re excited to introduce the 2026 cohort of EDGE Fellows! 🌍During their Fellowships, these seven inspiring conservatio...
08/09/2026

We’re excited to introduce the 2026 cohort of EDGE Fellows! 🌍

During their Fellowships, these seven inspiring conservation leaders will work to protect some of the world’s most unique, extraordinary and overlooked species, from birds and trees to amphibians, reptiles, sharks and rays.

Over the next four weeks, we’ll share their stories, introduce the remarkable species at the heart of their projects, and celebrate their vital conservation efforts.

Their Fellowships are generously supported by our valued partners, including Fondation Franklinia and The Peregrine Fund, as well as several private donors.

Follow along to meet the new Fellows and discover how they are helping safeguard species at the EDGE of Existence. 💚

🌊 Happy International Manatee Day! 🌊Today, we’re celebrating the gentle giants of our rivers, wetlands and coastal water...
07/09/2026

🌊 Happy International Manatee Day! 🌊

Today, we’re celebrating the gentle giants of our rivers, wetlands and coastal waters and the people working to protect them.

Our featured species is the West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus), which was the focus of EDGE alumnus Jamal Galves’ Fellowship in 2018. Known as the Manatee Man in Belize, Jamal continues to champion these incredible animals and inspire people around the world to care about their future.

From protecting vital habitats to raising awareness, every action counts. Together, we can help keep these gentle giants thriving in the wild. 💙

📷 © Jason Gulley

05/09/2026

🪶💚 Happy International Vulture Awareness Day!💚🪶

Today, we’re celebrating vultures, nature’s clean-up crew and essential guardians of healthy ecosystems. By efficiently disposing of animal carcasses, they help reduce the spread of disease and keep landscapes healthy.

We’re also highlighting the inspiring work of EDGE Fellow Malyasri Bhattacharya, whose EDGE project focuses on the Critically Endangered White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis).

The species suffered a devastating population decline of more than 99% across the Indian subcontinent, driven largely by the widespread use of veterinary drugs such as diclofenac.

In Kangra, Malyasri identified 11 active vulture colonies and documented threats including forest fires, resin tapping, selective logging and habitat loss.

Her work goes beyond research. Malyasri is working with Forest Department staff, veterinary professionals, pastoralists and local communities to promote safer livestock treatment, open carcass disposal mechanisms and vulture-friendly practices.

Through awareness programmes in schools and colleges, and a Vulture Festival that brought together 30+ schools and around 250 students, her project is helping inspire the next generation of vulture conservation champions.

This International Vulture Awareness Day, let’s celebrate vultures and the communities coming together to protect them and support their recovery.

🐋🌊Happy Whale Shark Day!🌊🐋Meet the gentle giant of the ocean. Whale sharks may be the world's largest fish, but their ca...
30/08/2026

🐋🌊Happy Whale Shark Day!🌊🐋

Meet the gentle giant of the ocean. Whale sharks may be the world's largest fish, but their calm nature and incredible presence make them a true symbol of the wonder hidden beneath the waves.

✨ EDGE Species Spotlight: Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus)

The Whale Shark is found throughout tropical and warm temperate oceans, travelling vast distances across open waters in search of food. As the largest fish species on Earth, they feed mainly on plankton and small organisms, using their unique filter-feeding adaptations to thrive in marine environments.

Today, Whale Sharks face serious threats including accidental capture in fisheries, habitat degradation, boat strikes, and the impacts of climate change. Their slow growth, late maturity, and long lifespans make populations particularly vulnerable to these pressures.

Protecting Whale Sharks means safeguarding one of the ocean’s most extraordinary species and the marine environments they depend on. By conserving these gentle giants, we can help ensure they continue to journey through our oceans for generations to come. 💙

📷 Species credit: © Renata Romeo

🐾 Happy African Wild Dog Day! 🐾African Wild Dogs are among Africa’s most remarkable predators, known for their incredibl...
26/08/2026

🐾 Happy African Wild Dog Day! 🐾

African Wild Dogs are among Africa’s most remarkable predators, known for their incredible teamwork, strong social bonds, and exceptional endurance. Living and hunting in highly coordinated packs, these intelligent carnivores play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and balanced prey populations.

✨ EDGE Species Spotlight: African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus)

The African Wild Dog is found across parts of sub-Saharan Africa, where it roams savannahs, grasslands, and open woodlands. Recognisable by its unique coat pattern (no two individuals are alike) this highly social species relies on cooperation to hunt, raise pups, and defend its pack.

Today, African Wild Dogs face serious threats including habitat loss and fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict, road mortality, and diseases transmitted by domestic dogs. As their range continues to shrink and populations become increasingly isolated, their future remains uncertain.

Protecting African Wild Dogs means protecting one of Africa’s most unique and endangered carnivores. By conserving these remarkable animals, we can help ensure their packs continue to roam the wild for generations to come. 💚🐾

📷 Species credit: © BBC

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