Giant rat discovered
A 1.4 kg giant rat that is probably a species new to science
Tuesday, 18, Dec 2007 04:27
A giant rat thought to be a new species has been discovered in a remote forest region of Indonesia.
Footage of the rat was captured by conservationists as they ventured into western New Guinea's Foja mountains.
The Mallomys giant rat is about five times the size of a normal city rat and appears to have no fear of humans as it entered the camp several times during the expedition.
It is just one of a number of new plants and animals found in the Foja wilderness, part of the largest unroaded tropical forest in the Asia Pacific region.
Also uncovered was a Cercartetus pygmy possum, one of the world's smallest marsupials that is thought to be new to science.
Conservationists also recorded the mating displays of several rare and little-known birds for the first time.
"It's comforting to know that there is a place on earth so isolated that it remains the absolute realm of wild nature," said Bruce Beehler, vice president of Conservation International, who led the expedition.
"We were pleased to see that this little piece of Eden remains as pristine and enchanting as it was when we first visited."
Conservationists are set to return to the Foja mountains late next year and 2009, when they expect to find additional new species of frogs, mammals, butterflies and plants.