A group of trackers have just caught a Machie's tree kangaroo.
There are only about 2500 individuals left in the world,
so this female is a rare catch,
You got a tree kangaroo!
The researchers carefully check her vitals and her physical condition,
and they notice that she's not alone.
The little joey is more proof that conservation efforts
have been successful in this area
For year the team around Dr. Lisa Dabek has been trying its best
to protect these endangered tree-dwelling mammals and their pristine habitat.
But how do you save a species that is almost invisible?
25 million years ago, the Australian continent slammed into Asia.
At the tip of the continent. New Guinea was born.
With peaks rising to almost 5000 m, this is the tallest island on our planet
and its forests are filled with unique animals,
some of which have undergone a dramatic lifestyle change.
Kangaroos are not best known for climbing trees,
but with lots of leaves and few other animals to eat them,
it was an opportunity not to be missed.
Their limbs have become shorter and more powerful.
With their curved nails, grip-adapted paws and a pendulous tail,
the Matchie's became experts on holding their balance.
The Matchie's tree kangaroo only inhabits one small corner
of northeastern Papua New Guinea,
the densely-forested mountainous Huon Peninsula.
Apart from this remote spot, it's found nowhere else in the world.
The kangaroos live high up in the cloud forest
and are difficult to spot from the ground.
Although the animals are perfectly camouflaged,
They face threats like hunting, trapping and habitat loss
because of increased housing and farming.
Currently, the species is classed as endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Woodland Park Zoo's renowned Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program,
or TKCP, is trying to change exactly that.
Back in 1996, founder and director Dr. Lisa Dabek
brought her zoo-based knowledge of Matchie's tree kangaroos
to Papua New Guinea
and started the conservation program in collaboration with the local people.
It was the first time that conservation work had been done
on the endangered Matchie's tree kangaroo
and the start was not an easy one.
You cannot actually observe their behavior directly
which, as an animal behaviorist, is very frustrating.
Dr. Dabek and her team knew that if they wanted to successfully protect
this elusive species,
they needed the help of the landowners, the locals.
The best trackers are local hunters
who have an intimate understanding of the forests and their animals.
You got a tree kangaroo!
Oh my gosh, Ecki!
Is it a male or female?
Female.
Back at the camp the researchers checked her vitals and gave her a mild sedative.
Then they began collecting as much information as they could
about her health, genetics and overall physical condition.
The biggest surprise was that this female has a tiny baby, a joey,
only about a month old and still attached to the teat in her pouch.
The last step of the observation is collaring.
It's the main reason why these scientists are all here.
We are able to see where they spend their time in the forest,
and we're going to be able to overlay that on a map of the forest.
And then we can look at what trees they're spending more of their time in,
where they're feeding.
The scientists have fitted 8 tree kangaroos with the special gear
equipped with GPS tracking and attitudinal sensors.
The collars automatically transmit the animal's locations
to the research team via satellite despite the thick canopy.
This collected data contains important information
for the YUS ecological monitoring program.
The YUS area is named for its 3 main rivers - Yopno, Uruwa and Som -
and covers 76,000 hectares of tropical forest
from Papua New Guinea's northern coast to its interior mountains.
Some 12,000 people live in this remote region.
Dr. Lisa Dabek and her team spent years meeting with the landowners and communities
to build mutual trust and an understanding of wildlife conservation.
The villages have joined together
to protect and care for the cloud forests and the wildlife within
creating the YUS conservation area.
Papua New Guinea's first conservation area.
In particular that means that some parts of the land outside the villages
is now declared as a no-hunting zone and serves as a reserve,
regenerating and repopulating the entire forest.
18 Rangers are responsible for patrolling and monitoring
wildlife in the conservation area.
They spend one week each month patrolling areas and gathering data
about flora and fauna.
In exchange for managing their forests in a sustainable manner,
locals receive medical care and education.
The farmers now send their kids to school.
They learn sustainable animal-farming techniques
and also learn how to grow soybeans, chocolate and coffee.
The Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program also has provided a teacher's scholarship
to help more than 20 students graduate from teachers' college.
These teachers have returned to the conservation area,
filling vacant teaching positions and providing hundreds of children
with the opportunity to earn an education.
In the end, the question might remain:
does all the community work really help the Matchie's tree kangaroo?
The answer is clear:
Yes, it does.
The kangaroo population in the protected area is stable,
and scientists believe that it will increase in the next years.
The successful Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program, which turns 25 this year,
shows that effective conservation requires a holistic approach
which responds to the needs of wildlife people
and the ecosystems they depend upon.