Last year, ecologists placed trail cameras around Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales, Australia. According to Smithsonian Magazine, the scientists hoped to capture footage of the smoky mouse, an endangered species known for their namesake gray fur.
Recently, the researchers gathered their cameras and pored through the footage. They found pics of the smoky mouse, and, in a shocking twist, they also spotted someone else — someone they hadn’t seen there in years.
DCCEEW
The unlikely forest-dweller was a Leadbeater’s possum, an Australian mammal long believed to be extinct in this region of the country. According to Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum Inc, this beloved endangered species can be recognized by their long, bushy tails and the dark stripes along the center of their backs.
DCCEEW
These possums are very important to the people of Australia, especially those living in Victoria.
“Nicknamed ‘forest fairies,’ Leadbeater’s possums are the faunal emblem of Victoria — a designation similar to the state animals of the United States,” Smithsonian Magazine wrote in a piece about the discovery.
Dan Harley – Healesville Sanctuary
For years, scientists assumed the possums only lived in Victoria. Finding them in New South Wales was an interesting surprise.
“[They were] previously known only from bones, believed to be up to 200 years old, that were discovered in caves near the recent detection site,” the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) wrote in a press release.
Dan Harley – Healesville Sanctuary
Spotting these animals in the park is a promising sign that conservation efforts are working.
“The discovery of a new, separate population brings hope for the conservation of this species,” Victorian Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos said in the press release. “[It] reduces the risk to the species from single catastrophic events.”
Zoos Victoria
Now, scientists are placing more cameras in the park. They hope to gain information about the species, which they’ll use when planning conservation tactics. They’re also celebrating this remarkable environmental win.
“It’s an amazing discovery,” NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service wrote in a Facebook post. “Hopefully, this is the first of many more wonderful discoveries to come!”
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