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Highlights from an article by The Associated Press, Feb.
8/06, printed in The Times Colonist, Victoria
Remarkably, there still exists an isolated old growth tropical forest of
over a million hectares in the western summits of the Foja
Mountains, nestled in Indonesia's more remote eastern Papua province.
Should you be overcome with the desire to explore it on your own, you may expect
to go through umpteen legal and political barriers to obtain a simple fly by
permit. Fortunately, the area has been protected not only as a wildlife
sanctuary, but as a land tightly restricted to foreigners.
Within, an 11 member team of US, Indonesian and Australian scientists
discovered twenty new species of frogs (including one less than two
centimetres in length), new butterflies and plants (at least five new types of
palms), a new honeyeater bird, and even large mammals that have been
hunted to near extinction elsewhere. The Golden-mantled Tree Kangaroo and two
Long-beaked Echidnas, a primitive egg-laying anteater, were listed in
this first recorded exploration of treasures until now unfamiliar with human
interference. The Echidnas actually allowed the scientists to pick them up and
bring them back to camp for study.
Apparently only a few hundred people reside in the geographically isolated
region, and they enjoy rich diversity with ample game at the foothills of
the mountain range. They have had no need to expand their territory, and
somehow magically escaped after-effects from decades of a Papua separatist
rebellion that killed an estimated 100,000 people. No trails, no sign
of civilization or local communities ever having been there could be found.
Naturally, scientists will be returning within the year. They've "only scratched
the surface", says Beehler, VP of Conservation International's Melanesia Center
for Biodiversity Conservation.
Let's hope for the area's continued protection, and only the most
noble research projects.
Natalia Kuzmyn
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