The Matschie's tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) is one of 14 species of tree kangaroos, all of which are endangered or threatened.
The Matschie's tree kangaroo is native to the Huon Peninsula of North Eastern New Guinea. It lives in the mountainous rainforests at elevations of between 1000 and 3300 m. Despite being listed as endangered by the IUCN, and being part of captive breeding programs worldwide, this species is still teetering on the edge of extinction.
A lot of the Huon Peninsula trees have been cleared in which the tree kangaroos chiefly inhabit, so there are more grassy areas created and the Matschie's tree kangaroos' habitat is being destroyed. They are also threatened by oil drilling, logging, hunting by humans, and rainforest clearing. Some Matschie's tree kangaroos are hunted by local natives for their meat and fur, while others, such as the people of Yawan, a village in New Guinea, aid in the matschie's conservation. The other problem is the fact that these kangaroos are very slow to reproduce, thus making it difficult to sustain the population.
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