• Please choose the "Tree Kangaroo Conservation Trust" option when making your donation. Donations help fund the work performed in the Conservation area Program Slideshow PNG first national conservation area: Press Release Conservation Press Kit Conservation Area Fact Sheet Seattle Times With Seattle zoo's help, villagers get jump on saving tree kangaroos Mongabay.com With landmark agreement by 35 villages, Papua New Guinea creates first Conservation Area Reuters Papua New Guinea creates first conservation area International Herald Tribune Papua New Guinea creates its first natural preserve MORE: The Science Behind Conservation TKCP Personnel About Papua New Guinea DOWNLOADS:  2008 TKCP Annual Report 2007 TKCP Annual Report 2006 TKCP Annual Report 2005 TKCP Annual Report 2004 TKCP Annual Report   MAJOR THREATS: Overhunting for meat and fur Habitat destruction from logging, mining and agriculture LINKS: Tree Kangaroo Fact Sheet Public Library of Science in Biology article (10/07) National Geographic Magazine September 2007 article For basic facts about PNG such as geography, government, economy, etc., visit these links:  The World Factbook Teachersoft The Lonely Planet's Guide to Papua New Guine

  stimulated local interest in conservation and biodiversity
• strengthened local support of the TKCP, seen as a cooperative effort that helps local communities as well as wildlife
• greater local capacity to handle future conservation issues without assistance
• increased rate at which scientific data are collected. This means that conservation problems can be more quickly recognized and addressed

TKCP Research
The TKCP's research integrates many scientific disciplines, including biology, ecology, genetics, biogeography and botany, and recognizes the value of indigenous knowledge. The TKCP's field studies have captured the attention of the global scientific community, sparking the interest of other biologists in the wildlife of the Huon Peninsula of PNG.

Tree kangaroo research studies:
Home-range size and movements determined using radiotelemetry
The TKCP is the first to successfully GPS/radiocollar wild Matschie's tree kangaroos for an extended period, and will thus provide new information on home range and habitat preferences. In 2007, the TKCP collared wild tree kangaroos (14 animals total) with GPS or VHF radiocollars for daily radio-tracking. When a tree kangaroo is located, TKCP field scientists take a GPS reading, note the behavior of the collared tree kangaroo (if it is visible), and describe the canopy and vegetation at the location. Dung samples are collected opportunistically for a feeding ecology study and genetics research. Gabriel Porolak recently completed his Master's thesis at James Cook University using this data. He is now back working full-time for TKCP and the data is being used to help manage the protected area with enough habitat an space for healthy tree kangaroo populations.

Habitat classification using GIS
The TKCP used satellite imagery technology to increase the resolution of the vegetation classification for the maps of the YUS Conservation Area and provide a measure of tree kangaroo habitat quality. By improving the resolution of these maps and classifying habitats, the TKCP has identified critical habitat and directed its conservation efforts towards those areas. The TKCP contracted an Australian botanist to delineate broad vegetation types across the TKCP study areas, and to try to identify differences within and between the forest types that may relate to suitability of habitat for Matschie's tree kangaroos. Local landowners also identified tree kangaroo food plants, and provided the local names for all collected plants.

Genetics
TKCP is working with a graduate student at the University of Rhode Island on conservation genetics of tree kangaroos. Tree kangaroo genetic analyses use dung samples collected in PNG to determine the "family tree" of tree kangaroos and establish a test for species identification. Microsatellite markers are used to analyze DNA extracted from captive (U.S. zoos) Matschie's tree kangaroo fecal samples and is currently determining if the markers can be used to analyze DNA extracted from wild D. matschiei fecal samples, which could allow for calculation of population size. They have developed and tested the efficacy of a genetic test to determine the species of origin of a wild collected fecal sample. The genetic identification test reduces the visual misidentification rate of identifying tree kangaroo fecal samples in the wild. The group has conducted phylogenetic analyses to determine the closest relative to Matschie's tree kangaroos.

Feeding ecology
The TKCP is collaborating with a graduate student at the Texas State University to determine the diet of wild tree kangaroos. They use the modified techniques of paleobotanists who extract fossil plants from rock, to study plant fragments in tree kangaroos pellets. Once the undigested plant fragments are extracted from the pellet, they can be compared to a reference collection to determine what tree kangaroos are eating.

Climate research
In 2009, the YUS Conservation Area will be used as a "living laboratory" to help determine the specific adaptation to climate change. The work, being done by a team led by Bruce Beehler, Conservation International scientist, will collect data along an elevation transect in the YUS Conservation Area (sea level to more than 3,000m high mountains) to document species ranges as an adaptation to climate change.