In what it has been hailed as a world first, a conservation group in the Seychelles has launched a project to sell digital versions, or NFTs, of the island nation’s endangered magpie robin.

Nature Seychelles said the aim was to raise money for conservation, as traditional sources of funding have dried up during the pandemic.

The digital twins of the black-and-white birds can be snapped up for as little as US$10 (RM42.40) or as much as US$10,000 – and Nature Seychelles CEO Nirmal Shah said they had already raised US$2,500 on the first day of the sale on Monday.

The Indian Ocean archipelago is home to about 400 magpie robins, with 59 found on the Cousin Island Special Reserve. Nature Seychelles initially issued a limited edition of 59 collectibles to represent the living birds on Cousin Island.

“You can contribute whatever you want, and the money will go directly to us to help manage this species,” said Shah. “This is just the beginning of experiments to find new income streams for conservation.”