'Charm-deficient' Aussie species in danger IN the race for survival, charisma is everything. And charm-deficient Australian animals such as the grey-headed flying fox are losing out to sexier species, experts say. University of Queensland Professor Hugh Possingham says 80 "celebrity" endangered species are winning the international battle for conservation dollars. As tigers, pandas, lions and rhinos rake in the cash, other threatened species such as the native grey-headed flying-fox are missing out despite it's claim to fame as the largest bat in Australia. Well they're bats aren't they. I love them but a lot of people find them creepy," Prof Possingham tells AAP. But they are incredibly important for the pollination of flowers, the dispersal of seeds - for an ecosystem to function. Prof Possingham says there are many other threatened native Australian species that simply aren't attracting the money needed to ensure their survival. "These 80 flagship mammal species are charismatic and have high marketing appeal, leading to the success of sponsorship programs," he says. But what happens to the other 1000 threatened mammal species and the 19,000 threatened plants, birds, reptiles, frogs, insects and obscure species? Prof Possingham says donor appeal is a huge factor in determining which species to save, but he argues there's a need for a more systematic approach. There are cases where a lot of money is being spent on species that are on their last legs, when several other dwindling animals or plants could be rescued with less funds, he says. National Environmental Research Program (NERP) researchers, including Prof Possingham, have developed an evaluation method aimed at helping governments estimate the cost of securing a particular species. New Zealand and NSW governments already use the technology in their conservation plans. "We need to ask more questions and encourage public debate, such as why are we saving this particular animal instead of another," he said. We need to ask for evidence from governments and non-government organisations to ensure that they have spent the money cost-effectively. The sad truth is we can't save everything with current funding levels, but we should demand that the available money achieves the greatest outcome possible.