Ugly Animal Preservation Society Launches Mascot Election Campaign (PICTURES, VIDEO)

Support The Mingers Of The Animal Kingdom: Vote For The Ugliest
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With his slimy, blancmange-esque physique, the blobfish has a face only a mother (blobfish) could love. To be fair, the same could probably be said for a pubic louse, or the frankly nightmarish dromedary jumping slug.

Yet far from being the subject of some sort of minging animal witch hunt, this motley crew are just some of the creatures battling it out for the accolade of being named the world’s ugliest animal.

For the Ugly Animal Preservation Society is looking for a new mascot – the more unaesthetically appealing the better.

Scroll down for more pictures and to vote!

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The blobfish's gelatinous appearance aids it buoyancy, as it spends its life gently bobbing in the sea

The project aims to encourage young people to get involved in conservation projects, as well as challenging the public’s love affair with poster-boy endangered animals such as the panda and the red squirrel.

Simon Watt, biologist and President for Life of the Society, will announce the winner at the British Science Festival in Newcastle on 12th September.

He said, “For too long the cute and fluffy animals have taken the limelight and now hundreds of species are tragically extinct because they were painfully ugly. You can help these mingers by choosing one animal to stand-up for all the other uglies in the animal kingdom.”

What’s more, a host of public faces – including Stephen Fry - have stepped forward to big up their favourite mingers of the animal kingdom.

So, take a look through the contenders in our gallery below, and place your votes by ‘liking’ the video for the appropriately repulsive creature here.