Australian government invest in saving earless dragons

(CBS, KYMA/KECY) - You may have never seen one, and you might not even know it exists, but the tiny earless dragon is in big trouble.

The critically endangered creatures, found only in Australia, are losing their homes and inbreeding is shrinking their gene pool.

But Australia's government is investing nearly $3 million to help the vanishing lizard species make a comeback by boosting breeding efforts.

"So, what the breeding program here does is make sure we continue to diversify the genetics of the species. We can reintroduce different DNA back into our wild populations to make sure they stay healthy and continue to grow," said Suzanne Orr, Environment Minister of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly.

The earless dragon's plight has ignited public passion and protest, with conservationists rallying to halt a road project they say runs right through the creature's natural habitat.