The 400 limited edition 7″ singles will degrade after a number of plays.

Up there as one of the stranger headlines we’ve written so far on The Vinyl Factory, there’s something endearing (and not to mention worthy) about this new project from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, who have enlisted Alaskan rockers Portugal. The Man to record a one-sided 7″ limited to 400 copies that will degrade after a number of plays.

Developed to raise awareness about the failing fortunes of the Sumatran tiger, of which only 400 are left, the deteriorating 7″ has been distributed to a selection of musicians and activists with the hope that they will share it online to extend its lifespan and avoid its own metaphoric extinction.

Speaking to The Washington Post, lead singer John Gourley said: “This seemingly goes against everything that the music industry is about. But I think there’s something really amazing about this, it really forms a community. I really hope people can put in that extra time to look into and understand what’s happening with these tigers and all animals.” [via takepart]

You can watch a video about the project here and find out more about the track by following hashtags #endangeredsong and #sumatrantiger.

In other animal-charity-vinyl crossover news, last year Yoko Ono teamed up with Iggy Pop to release a charity 10″ in support of the smaller cats at Floridian pet concern Paws 4 You.