Wildlife Australia - Spring 2017

Paul, the office chose the white shark pic,

which is probably for the best as it makes

up more of the article content. Let’s keep

the smaller cover images as below for this

issue, so we don’t have left-over images

for Jenny to deal with. KC

LOOKING UP

High in the forests of the region are the arboreal inhabitants

that first inspired this conservation initiative. The Tree Kangaroo

Conservation Program (TKCP) is the flagship international

conservation program of Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, USA,

and began in 1996 with a focus on the conservation of the

Matschie’s tree kangaroo, sometimes also known as the Huon

tree kangaroo. These tree kangaroos survive in just a small area

of New Guinea. Unfortunately, logging and mineral and oil

exploration are destroying their habitat and endangering their

populations. Unsustainable hunting by local people adds to

the decreasing number of wild tree kangaroos. But things are

looking up now that TKCP has evolved into a holistic program

that protects habitat for numerous threatened species and

supports local stewards in sustainable livelihoods. A resilient

and innovative program, it celebrated its 20th anniversary in

2016 – a major milestone when working in such a remote and

politically dynamic environment. Its success is a testament to

the many dedicated workers and supporters, but especially the

local communities and landholders who pledged parts of their

land for conservation. Following a long period of cooperative

planning and negotiation between landholders, TKCP and

all relevant levels of PNG government, the YUS Conservation

Area was declared in 2009. It was the first – and until recently

the only – Conservation Area declared under the PNG

Conservation Areas Act 1978.

MATSCHIE’S (OR HUON) TREE KANGAROO

(DENDROLAGUS MATSCHIEI)

Status: Endangered (IUCN), decreasing c. 2500 wild adults

Habitat: Less than 14 km^2 region of tropical montane and

upper montane forests at 1000–3300 m above sea level on

the Huon Peninsula, PNG.

Diet: Mostly folivorous. Known to consume more than 90

plant species including mosses, ferns, fruit, nuts, flowers, bark

and sap, as well as bird eggs and young birds on occasion.

Main threats: Hunting, habitat destruction for subsistence

agriculture, climate change and drought increasing bushfire.

TKCP founder and director Lisa Dabek with a Matschie’s

tree kangaroo. Photo: Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program

The lush, forest-covered peaks
of this part of Papua New
Guinea are known as ‘cloud
mountains’ for a reason.
Photo: Windydea Consultants

Volunteer teachers and students, enthusiastic as always, gave us a

friendly welcome back, holding a ‘sing-sing’ or traditional celebration.

Photo: Windydea Consultants

Community consultation was a crucial part of designing the program

and receiving feedback about how to best support local communities

and achieve key health, education and conservation outcomes. Photo:

Windydea Consultants

SNAPSHOT

Female Matschie’s tree kangaroos are

devoted ‘single mums’. A male’s range

overlaps that of several females, but

each female remains independent,

forming a strong social bond only with

her juvenile offspring.

FAST FACTS

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