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This month is Tree Kangaroo Month and Port Moresby Nature Park has celebrated the breeding success of a little Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo joey (yet to be named) which has emerged from its mothers pouch much to the delight of Park visitors.
This is the first time the Nature Park has bred the endangered species at the Park having in the past had breeding successes with both Matchies and Doria’s Tree Kangaroos.
Jewel, the mother of the joey and first-time parent, was surrendered to the Park in 2019 by a resident in Lae, who had seen her at a market and was worried she would be killed for food or for her fur so instead kept her as a pet. They surrendered the young Jewel to the Nature Park a short time later after deciding that it was best Jewel lived a happy life at the Park and became an important ambassador for the species. The father of the joey, ‘Gaidi’ was also surrendered to the Park in 2017; however until the arrival of Jewel, the Park was unable to commence a breeding program for this species.
Port Moresby Nature Park’s Curator, Mr Brett Smith said, “Unfortunately it is all too common that tree kangaroos are hunted from the wild and end up in markets to be sold and killed for their meat or for their fur. Many tree kangaroos are endangered and populations continue to decline so efforts for greater protection and enforcement is needed.”
Fortunately, the Conservation and Environment Protection Agency (CEPA) and UNDP are working to increase Protected Areas across PNG, and with the help of partners like the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program, based in Morobe and the Tenkile Conservation Alliance, based in Lumi; efforts to work with local community groups to stop hunting of tree kangaroos has been successful.
However, there is much more work to be done to save Tree Kangaroos and Port Moresby Nature Park is one key partner in tree kangaroo conservation.
Port Moresby Nature Park is a charity organization that relies on grants and donor funding to operate. By visiting the park and joining its Annual Membership Program, you help support the Park’s efforts in preserving PNG’s unique natural environment for future generations, including the Park’s 550 resident animals, majority of which have been surrendered to the Park for care.
