The Wondiwoi tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus mayri) is an elusive and rare bear-like mammal that was considered extinct until rediscovery in 2018. It is a species of tree-kangaroo, a group of long-tailed animals native to Australia and New Guinea that mostly live in trees and feed on plant matter.
Wondiwoi tree-kangaroos are native to the island of New Guinea (in eastern Indonesia) where they inhabit tropical mossy mountain forests.
Until 2018, the Wondiwoi tree-kangaroo was known only from a single specimen collected in 1928 so little information is known about the habits of this species. Generally, tree-kangaroos are arboreal and are slow and clumsy on the ground. They move at approximately human walking pace and hop awkwardly, leaning their body far forward to balance the heavy tail. However, in trees, they are bold and agile. They climb by wrapping their forelimbs around the trunk of a tree and, while allowing the forelimbs to slide, hop up the tree using their powerful hind legs.
Tree-kangaroos belong to the family of kangaroos and carry their young in a pouch like other marsupials.
Wondiwoi tree-kangaroos are likely threatened by hunting pressure.
According to the IUCN Red List, the population of the Wondiwoi tree-kangaroo is unknown. The Tenkile Conservation Alliance estimates that if the species is still extant its population is likely to be 50 or fewer individuals. This is based on the very limited distribution of its likely habitat. It is quite possible that the species is extinct. Currently, this species is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List.
