Dingiso

The Dingiso is currently (2003) listed as a vulnerable species. It is endemic to Indonesia. It was first discovered by an Australian named Dr Tim Flannery in 1987. He roamed the mountains in New Guinea and discovered four new varieties of tree kangaroo. He named this Dendrolagus mbaiso, referring to it as "It's a beautiful thing, and no biologist had ever seen one before." Flannery describes the Dingiso as "none was as unusual as Dingiso and none such an interesting evolutionary and culturual story to tell."

The cultural story that Flannery refers to is the locals refused to hunt this particular species. They believed the dingiso to be sacred, and fittingly the scientific name "mbaiso" translates to "forbidden" in the local dialect.

Did you know? The Dingiso is the only known species of semi-terrestrial tree kangaroo.

The Dingiso is known by locals as the bondegezou.

Unlike most tree kangaroos, the dingiso spends most of its time on the ground. They are beautiful black and white coloured animals, and their markings have been reported to change as the animal matures. They have a white patch in the middle of their forehead, and a band of white fur around the muzzle. Females weigh approximately 8.5 to 9 kilograms, but no male Dingisos have ever been weighed. They feed mostly on leaves.

The dingiso is a close relative of Doria's Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus dorianus).

The dingiso lives high in mountains where the temperature usually drops below freezing at night. As such it has developed a dense thick coat. It is reported to be a fearless animal that will approach humans without much hesitation.

There is still a lot of research to be carried out on the Dingiso, as little is known about it to this date (2004).