Here’s why Lacoste is replacing its iconic crocodile logo (for now!)

Lacoste’s green crocodile is one of the most recognizable logos in fashion, but the iconic reptile is temporarily stepping (waddling?) aside to make way for some other deserving creatures. The French clothing brand created a series of limited-edition polo shirts featuring 10 of the world’s most endangered species, including highly at-risk varieties of rhino, parrot and tiger. -There are just 67 Javan rhinos left in the wild. The endangered animals are embroidered in the brand’s green thread, just like the classic croc. -The Cao-vit gibbon, one of the rarest apes in the world, landed a spot. It’s part of a collaboration between Lacoste and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Proceeds from the shirts, priced at about $183, will go toward animal conservation. -An estimated 450 Anegada ground iguanas are left in the wild. There are just 1,775 polo shirts in this limited run, and to highlight the plight of these endangered creatures, the number of polos produced for each species corresponds to the number of the animalsleft in the wild. The brand made just 350 shirts featuring the Sumatran tiger — one for every Sumatran tiger left in nature. -The Sumatran tiger looks at home on Lacoste’s iconic polo. Lacoste made 250 shirts for the saola, a rare antelope-like creature found in parts of Asia. -The rare Saola lives in the forests of Vietnam and Laos. Meanwhile, the brand made 157 polos featuring the kakapo parrot, a flightless parrot native to New Zealand. -The kakapo is a flightless, nocturnal parrot. As for the vaquita, a porpoise that lives in the Gulf of California? Only 30 shirts were made to reflect this rare creature’s remaining population in the wild. -Save the vaquita! The limited number of shirts really drives home the desperate plight of these endangered animals. Luckily, shoppers were eager to help raise money for these animals in need (and of course, own a special piece of Lacoste history in the process). Soon after Lacoste debuted the special collection, it sold out. The crocodile clearly stepped aside for an excellent cause!