History Main / LastOnesPloy

* ''Manga/{{Beastars}}'': Mizuchi is a Harlequin breed of rabbit that is very defensive of her boyfriend (the only other Harlequin at her school). She bullies the character Haru for getting her boyfriend to cheat with her, for which she accuses her of trying to sabotage their relationship and make Harlequins go extinct.

* ''[[WesternAnimation/GeorgeOfTheJungle2007 George of the Jungle (2015)]]'': The episode "Valley of the Magnolias" has Magnolia tricking the World Animal Council into classifying her as an endangered species to obtain priority rescue status (as George is legally required to provide protection to endangered species first and foremost) to make life in the jungle easier for herself, only to end up abusing said status to turn George into her personal manservant. [[OnlySaneMan Ape]], who points out the absurdity of the situation, especially since there are actual endangered animals out there that George should be protecting, decides to put a stop to it by convincing the W.A.C to [[LaserGuidedKarma put Magnolia in a glass cage where she's forced to eat disgusting nutritional kibble and run on a giant hamster wheel for exercise while being shocked with electric prods]].

->'''Zippy:''' You know boss, there is another advantage to being the ''only'' blue-bottomed booby.
->'''Bird Brain:''' Keep talking, I'm on hold with the taser store.
->'''Zippy:''' If you're the only booby, then you're an {{endangered species}}!
->'''Bird Brain:''' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Not as endangered as those two if my credit card's approved.]]
->'''Zippy:''' No boss, I mean you're protected. You can be as evil as you want and no one can do a thing to stop you!
->'''Bird Brain:''' Wait a minute... Hold the phone!
->'''Zippy:''' Are you getting an idea?
->'''Bird Brain:''' [[LiteralMetaphor No, I want you to hold the phone.]] ''[proceeds to give Zippy the phone, causing her to fall to the floor because of its weight]'' This is wonderful! I'm above the law! I ''llllove'' being the only booby!
-->''WesternAnimation/TuffPuppy'', "Booby Trap"

->'''Bird Brain:''' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Not as endangered as as those two if my credit card's approved.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/SquirrelBoy'': Rodney receives a letter in "[[Recap/SquirrelBoyS1E11TheTrojanRabbitTheEndangeredSpeciesTwist The Endangered Species Twist]]" that tells him that he's an endangered species and thus must be treated with utmost care and attention. Rodney naturally exploits his status to make his family cater to his every whim, and Mr. J is unable to refuse or retaliate without getting into trouble with Ranger Stu. It's {{subverted|trope}} when Mr. J finds Leon's letter and concludes that it's Leon who's actually endangered, and Leon never abuses his status at all, with Mr. J exploiting a law that no other squirrel habitat can be allowed within 500 feet of Leon's home to kick Rodney out of the house. Then it's [[DoubleSubversion double subverted]] when Rodney tears up the letter so he can be allowed back in the house, but it turns out to be his after all. [[HoistByHisOwnPetard However, since the letter is no longer intact, his protected status is rendered null and void]][[note]]Even though this realistically wouldn't change anything about a protected species? status, it's all PlayedForLaughs[[/note]].
* ''[[WesternAnimation/SecretSquirrel Super Secret Secret Squirrel]]'': The panda criminal One Ton from the titular episode rampaged pretty much at his heart's content because he ''knew'' no law enforcement could touch him, with his Endangered status. Secret is tasked with getting him back to jail without harming even one hair on his body, and after a number of unsuccessful strategies manages to turn this status against him: He starts acting like an unhelpful bodyguard and using DeadlyDodging when One Ton inevitably retaliates until the panda knocks ''himself'' out... and then he arrests him for endangering ''himself''.
* ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'': One episode had Plucky try to get into a celebrity party by saying he's an endangered species. He tells them he's a "Bush Quail" He comes up with this LineOfSightName from seeing a magazine with an article about George Bush and Dan Quayle. (POTUS and Veep and the time.)

However, some characters take this too far and start ''abusing'' this protection for their benefit, which is where this trope comes in. This is when a character, usually an anthropomorphic animal, discovers their species is endangered, so they're granted special rights and protection. If they are villains or [[ItsAllAboutMe self-centered]] {{Jerkass}}es, they tend to exploit and abuse their status for all it's worth, knowing that the law will protect them instead. A DirtyCoward can naturally exploit this by PlayingTheVictimCard if the people they antagonize try to retaliate, leading them to get arrested instead.

->'''Zippy''': You know boss, there is another advantage to being the ''only'' blue-bottomed booby.
->'''Bird Brain''': Keep talking, I'm on hold with the taser store.
->'''Zippy''': If you're the only booby, then you're an {{endangered species}}!
->'''Bird Brain''': [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Not as endangered as as those two if my credit card's approved.]]
->'''Zippy''': No boss, I mean you're protected. You can be as evil as you want and no one can do a thing to stop you!
->'''Bird Brain''': Wait a minute... Hold the phone!
->'''Zippy''': Are you getting an idea?
->'''Bird Brain''': [[LiteralMetaphor No, I want you to hold the phone.]] ''[proceeds to give Zippy the phone, causing her to fall to the floor because of its weight]'' This is wonderful! I'm above the law! I ''llllove'' being the only booby!

However, some characters take this too far and start ''abusing'' this protection for their benefit, which is where this trope comes in. This is when a character, usually an anthropomorphic animal, discovers they're species is endangered, so they're granted special rights and protection. If they are villains or [[ItsAllAboutMe self-centered]] {{Jerkass}}es, they tend to exploit and abuse their status for all it's worth, knowing that the law will protect them instead. A DirtyCoward can naturally exploit this by PlayingTheVictimCard if the people they antagonize try to retaliate, leading them to get arrested instead.

Everybody knows about importance of endangered species, creatures who were once relatively safe in the wild but are currently in danger of going extinct. For this reason, endangered species are generally given some privileges their safe counterparts don't have, chief among them being enhanced protection.

* ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'': Nobita tries to invoke this by using a gadget to turn himself into an endangered species so that he will be protected by everyone instead of being scolded and bullied as usual. However, this [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor backfires spectacularly]] that not only he is now protected as he wished, his house has also been modified into a zoo-like structure where everyone can enter to see his 'ecology', and he himself is later brought to a lab for study. While no such thing as [[TheyWouldCutYouUp cutting him up]] occurs, the experience is still unpleasant for Nobita as he is treated like a Chimpanzee, complete with a fruit-only diet and a playroom which consists of only a tire swing.

* ''Literature/{{Pale}}'': Discussed when the Kennet trio are planning to audit the Alabaster Doe on her behavior as a Judge, an action they're aware has the possibility of killing her when Alabasters are already rare Others to begin with as a result of people killing and skinning them. Avery is somewhat reticent, but Lucy compares the act to killing an endangered species that just so happens to be trying to shoot you, making it self-defense. In the end they choose to go through with their plan and the resulting audit ends with the Doe dead and the Alabaster Assembly taking her place as Judge.

* ''WesternAnimation/AngryBeavers'': The episode "Endangered Species" has Daggett mistaken for a extinct species of beaver, which he exploits in order to gain control of the dam. He soon comes to regret it when he realizes that the two scientists assigned to "protect" him keep him cooped up in the dam and under constant study.
* ''WesternAnimation/FuggetAboutIt'': The episode "Effin' Neighbors, Eh?" has Jimmy running into conflict with a trio of Canadian hosers squatting in the vacant house next door [[BullyingADragon who are able to annoy him as much as they want without consequence]] while also receiving an unlimited supply of beer, cigarettes, and coffee from the government due to the Heritage Protection Council of Canada labelling them an endangered culture. That is until they're exposed as frauds after getting caught drinking non-Canadian beer, which real hosers are biologically incapable of, causing their protection status to be revoked and giving Jimmy free reign to do whatever he wants with them.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyGymPartnersAMonkey'': In "[[Recap/MyGymPartnersAMonkeyS1E4BadNewsBear Bad News Bear]]", Adam is given the task of guiding and protecting an endangered panda named Ding Pang around the school by Principal Pixiefrog as punishment for unlawfully using the fish tube. Ding Pang gets into all sorts of trouble and uses his status to protect him from the wrath of the other students, with Adam taking the brunt of the punishment. It's revealed Ding Bang is actually the delinquent Larry the Raccoon in disguise, and once he's exposed, he loses all of his protection. [[TheDogBitesBack Adam wastes no time in throwing a dodge ball at Larry for what he's put him through]], and all of the students [[LaserGuidedKarma chase after the delinquent in revenge for all the trouble he's caused them]].

* ''WesternAnimation/SquirrelBoy'': Rodney receives a letter in "[[Recap/SquirrelBoyS1E11TheTrojanRabbitTheEndangeredSpeciesTwist The Endangered Species Twist]]" that tells him that he's an endangered species and thus must be treated with utmost care and attention. Rodney naturally exploits his status to make his family cater to his every whim, and Mr. J is unable to refuse or retaliate without getting into trouble with Ranger Stu. It's {{subverted|trope}} when Mr. J finds Leon's letter and concludes that it's Leon who's actually endangered, and Leon never abuses his status at all, with Mr. J exploiting a law that no other squirrel habitat can be allowed within 500 feet of Leon's home to kick Rodney out of the house. Then its [[DoubleSubversion double subverted]] when Rodney tears up the letter so he can be allowed back in the house, but it turns out to be his after all. [[HoistByHisOwnPetard However, since the letter is no longer intact, his protected status is rendered null and void]][[note]]Even though this realistically wouldn?t change anything about a protected species? status, it?s all PlayedForLaughs[[/note]].

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