This project is being led by The Tree Kangaroo and Mammal Group, a local grassroots conservation organization consisting of Queenslanders who are interested in conserving the rain forest and its inhabitants. The San Diego Zoo team members are here to lend resources to support their efforts. There is very little known about the Lumholtz's tree kangaroo. They sleep hunched over in a ball in the high branches of the trees, their dusky brown backs blending into the backdrop of the rain forest. There is even limited information on their diet.
Many locals state that they have never seen a tree 'roo in the years they've been here.
Margit Cianelli, our hostess and a locally well-known licensed animal rehabilitation specialist, raised Timothy from a very small joey. As he is only about 18 months old, he returns to her house nightly. It is believed that in the wild, joeys stay within the home range of their mother until they are about three years old. We ran through a pilot study today to determine if the research design will be effective in collecting enough information. More on the research methods and outcome tomorrow.