The Papua Kangaroo

Indonesia's provinces of Papua & West Papua on the western part of the Island of New Guinea have many rare animals e.g the Kangaroo.

Unlike the Australian Kangaroo, the Papua Kangaroos are smaller, rain forest-dwelling variety, and easy to carry around.

The fact that they are rare species protected by the government has tempted many people want to have them for private collection.

For example, early this month the Maritime Police in Surabaya, East Java, arrested a man accused of smuggling ten rare Kangaroos by boat from Papua. Five of them were dead when they arrived, and the other five surviving Kangaroos were given to a Surabaya animal sanctuary. The alleged smuggler said that he bought the Kangaroos at a price of Two Million Rupiah (US$ 212) each. Based on the Conservation Laws, if he is found guilty by the Court he faces up to five years in jail and 100 million rupiah ($11,000) fine.

For detailed media reports, please click here, here and here.

I hope that the Papua Kangaroos as well as other rare species from Papua like the Cendrawasih birds would be given much better care and protection.