The first known footage of an endangered mammal dubbed the "Mickey Mouse of the desert", has been released.

It is hoped the public exposure of the long-eared jerboa will help efforts to protect the rare species and save it from becoming extinct.

The Mongolian native eats insects to survive and usually spends its days burrowed away in underground tunnels, only emerging at night.

The creature described as a "mouse-sized kangaroo" because of its oversized ears, was filmed hopping around in its natural habitat in the Gobi desert.

The creature was recorded by a group of scientists from the Zoological Society of London's (ZSL) Edge programme, which focuses its efforts on animals which are "evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered".

The extremely rare rodent was one of ten special species to be selected by the programme because it was receiving little conservation attention.

The mammal has been threatened by the disturbance of its habitat and the introduction of the domestic cat, emerging as a newly-introduced predator.

Dr Jonathan Baillie, ZSL head of field conservation and leader of the expedition to Mongolia, said: "The footage and images from this expedition really are extraordinary and incredibly charming.

"The long-eared jerboa is a bit like the Mickey Mouse of the desert, cute and comic in equal measure.

"When people see ZSL's footage of this tiny, threatened creature I am convinced they will want to get involved in its conservation.

"Unfortunately, this is just one of many amazing and unusual animals that are highly threatened but receiving little or no conservation attention."

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