### Clue: Rescuers on the way to see rescue ship find one of first pair listed for saving? (8)
### Answer: AARDVARK 
 ### Explanation: Definition: one of first pair listed for saving
 AA(sort of rescuers when you're having car trouble) **placed above**(on, in a down clue) RD(abbrev. for "road";way) + V(abbrev. for the Latin for "see", when citing references in text) + ARK(sort of rescue ship, during the biblical Flood).
Defn: I think this refers to the pair of animals in the grid which are or might become endangered species.  And I see that today's FT crossword setter is Aardvark – is this just coincidence or another connection?