Kangaroos in the clouds? How to protect this ghostly species

On the high elevation slopes of Papua New Guinea, phantoms haunt the treetops. Camouflaging among the moss and mist is the Matschie’s tree kangaroo. Known by locals as the ghosts of the forest, these marsupials are only found on the Huon Peninsula. They are a flagship species of their environment – one of the world’s last cloud forests where moisture saturates the air. But as these habitats disappear, so do the animals that call it home. Today, approximately 2 500 Matschie’s tree kangaroos remain. To safeguard their future, indigenous communities have established the first protected region of its kind in the country. 

In collaboration with the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program, local landowners created the YUS Conservation Area spanning 158 000 hectares. This area has roots in traditional land preservation, known as tambu. Village leaders had recognised the unsustainable use of resources, such as the chopping down of trees for agriculture and fuel, and excessive subsistence hunting of wildlife including tree kangaroos. These elusive marsupials spend the majority of their lives in canopies at risk of being lost. As they bear cultural significance to locals, landowners and their communities now play a critical role in protecting them. They help track and study the tree kangaroos to better inform strategies, while leaders continuously educate people in land management practices. 

Through indigenous-led conservation efforts, communities have supported sustainable alterations that will positively impact not only the tree kangaroos but the entire ecosystem. Papua New Guinea has some of the highest rates of biodiversity in the world, and the YUS Conservation Area subsequently also protects dwarf cassowaries, long-beaked echidnas, and pademelons. Drifting above, the solitary Matschie’s tree kangaroo hides behind a blanket of clouds. Thanks to the commitment of the people on the ground, these ghosts can continue to roam the forest.

Footage by and images by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Woodland Park Zoo, Joe Pontecorvo and Jonathan Byers were used in the creation of this film.