Native to the cloud forests of Papua New Guinea’s Huon Peninsula, this rare species trades the hopping lifestyle of its ground-dwelling kangaroo cousins for climbing, leaping, and balancing in the treetops. With its golden-brown fur, creamy face and belly, and long tail ringed in amber and chocolate tones, it looks almost like a plush toy crossed with a bear and a monkey — only it’s neither. It’s pure tree-kangaroo.

Unlike upright-bounding red kangaroos on Australia’s plains, Matschie’s tree-kangaroos move with quiet agility, climbing with strong forelimbs and leaping from branch to branch. They can take astonishing vertical jumps — up to 9 meters (30 ft) down from a tree and land safely thanks to powerful hind legs and a long tail that acts as a counterweight. Their feet grip branches like a rock climber’s hands, with rough pads and curved claws that help them stay secure in the misty canopy. They spend most of their time resting, feeding, and navigating leaves and moss-covered boughs, making the high forest their refuge and their kingdom.

Diet-wise, Matschie’s tree-kangaroos are leaf and fruit eaters, browsing on foliage, flowers, and any tender plant material they can reach. They are mostly solitary, moving slowly and deliberately to conserve energy — a smart strategy at high altitude, where food can be patchier and temperatures cooler than in lowland tropics. Mothers raise a single joey at a time, who develops in the pouch for many months before riding on her back and learning the ropes — literally, the branches — of arboreal life.

Sadly, this species is endangered, threatened by habitat loss, hunting, and climate pressure in the mountain forests it depends on. But there’s hope: local conservation partnerships, community-led land protection, and captive-breeding programs are making a difference.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Papua New Guinea

<2,500

Official estimate

EN

2016