Hispaniolan solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus) and Hispaniolan hutia (Plagiodontia aedium)

Conservation status: Endangered
Charity: Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in collaboration with Hispaniolan Ornithological Society (SOH), Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the Dominican Republic National Zoo (Zoodom)
Project: The Last Survivors
Where in the world? UK & Latin America
Grant: £16,000

Hispaniolan solenodon:

This large shrew-like species occurs in the forests of the Dominican Republic and Haiti and is one of the two last surviving insectivorous mammals in the Caribbean.
The Hispaniolan solenodon is one of the most unusual and ancient mammal species to be found on Earth. It is thought to have split from all other mammals over 65 million years ago, towards the end of the age of the dinosaurs.
The species is probably best known as one of the few mammals that can secrete toxic saliva in a manner similar to snakes.
It has lost much of its forest habitat and might be threatened by invasive mammals. In Haiti, the species is very rare indeed and is thought to be largely restricted to one mountain range in the west of the country.
It is classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
No current population estimates for this species exist.

Hispaniolan hutia:

This large tree-living rodent occurs in the forests of the Dominican Republic and Haiti and is the only surviving native rodent on Hispaniola.
Like the solenodon, much of its forest habitat has been lost and it is threatened by invasive mammals, but it is also persecuted as a crop pest and in some areas is hunted for food.
Very little is known about the ecology of this species, including its precise distribution, which is barrier to effective conservation planning.
The Hispaniolan hutia is classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Project goal:

The project's long-term goal is to enable Dominicans and Haitians to conserve the two last remaining endemic land mammal species in Hispaniola ("The Last Survivors") - the Hispaniolan solenodon and hutia. The project has four main outcomes:

Train a network of skilled Dominican conservation practitioners and advocates from local communities.
Improve local knowledge of the status of the Hispaniolan solenodon and hutia and their conservation requirements.
Raise awareness of the Hispaniolan solenodon and hutia at local, national and international level leading to increased support for their conservation.
Increase the capacity in the Dominican conservation community to conserve the Hispaniolan solenodon and hutia.

"Winning this grant is excellent news as it allows us to expand our conservation efforts into northern Dominican Republic where we think both of the last survivor species are still found.

It means a lot to me since I am from the northern part of the country and it will give me the opportunity to find out how these threatened species are faring and to train local community members in field techniques and raise awareness of the importance of the Hispaniolan solenodon and hutia.

We are looking forward to keeping you updated with our progress. We can't thank the BBC Wildlife Fund enough for their help - it means a lot to us."
Pedro Martinez, The Last Survivors and Sociedad Ornitologíca de la Hispaniola

Hispaniolan solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus) and Hispaniolan hutia (Plagiodontia aedium)