SURVIVAL OF THE CUTEST

We can't help being drawn to cute creatures, but our aesthetic preferences both help and hinder conservation

- JO WIMPENNY

THINK OF THE BBC series Big Cats and the rusty-spotted cat might spring to mind, a kittensized felid whose prowess for murder did nothing to detract from his ridiculously adorable appearance. The little predator captured hearts worldwide, and a two-minute video of him on YouTube now has more than 62 million views. A quick skim of the 83,000 comments reveals a common theme.

"This is literally the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life," says one. "I want to get this little kitty... so0000 cute," writes another.

His large eyes, round face and petite size are all key traits of what we perceive as cute, and while they're typically associated with baby animals, they needn't be restricted to the natural world. Hello Kitty, Japan's monumentally successful global ambassador of cuteness, is one of the most recognisable characters on the planet. She's also just celebrated her 50th birthday, a testament to the enduring popularity of all things adorable. But what does this have to do with wildlife conservation? Quite a lot, as it turns out.

In his 1990 art installation, Survival of the Cutest (Who Gets on the Ark?), artist Mark Dion, in collaboration with William Schefferine, crammed a wheelbarrow with cuddly toys, including a panda, orca, polar bear and elephant, as well as other 'charismatic megafauna'. Painted on the wheelbarrow was a list of species and their extinction rates. The message was clear - to be considered worthy of conservation efforts, animals needed to be charismatic or cute.