09-05-2025
Road workers capture 'very rarely seen' Aussie creature in incredible footage
Late-night road workers patching up a cyclone-hit region were treated to an incredible encounter, signalling an exciting shift in the population of one of Australia's most elusive creatures.
A Bennett's tree-kangaroo has been "making appearances" along the Cape Tribulation Road in Far North Queensland since March, with council workers "lucky" enough to capture a few seconds of incredible footage of the rare marsupial on the side of the road.
Works along the road have been ongoing since Cyclone Jasper flooding caused landslips along the roads in December, 2023. "He seems to have adjusted to our midnight closure of Alexandra Range and is often at the first corner north of the lookout at approximately 12.15 am lately," A FNQ Traffic Management spokesperson told Yahoo.
The elusive marsupial was described to Yahoo as "cryptic and difficult to see in the wild" by Wildlife Habitat General Manager Clare Hunt. It is found only in Papua New Guinea and in northern Queensland, with some subspecies critically endangered to the point there were previously estimated to be fewer than 50 individuals left.
The Bennett's tree-kangaroo, found in the Queensland's Daintree region, is listed as near-threatened. The Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo, also shares this classification. However the increase in sightings signals that population may be on the mend.
"They are quite rarely seen," Peter Valentine, president of the Tree-Kangaroo and Mammal Group told Yahoo News, of the Bennett's tree-kangaroo sighting, describing it as a "really good sign".
"I am interpreting these more recent sightings as a signal that [their populations] are becoming more secure. "I'd like to make that optimistic interpretation for the Bennett's kangaroos which were very rarely seen in the past."
Watch the footageThere are several important factors affecting the populations of tree-kangaroos in Australia. "The biggest threats come from humans," explained Valentine. The key threats come from habitat clearing, and also road collisions and attacks from animals like domestic dogs.
"Many tree-kangaroos, especially young males, are killed by us driving too fast on roads," he said.
While tree-kangaroos, as the name suggests, spend the majority of their time up in the tree canopies, they are known to come to the ground. Predatory birds and snakes may force them to come to ground level, or if they are looking to reach new food sources.
Tree-kangaroos live in family groups with one male and multiple females in the same area. When young males get to a certain age, Valentine said they are "hunted out" by older males, putting them on the move in the environment looking for new territory.
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"Every road we build in the rainforest is a threat to any animal that has to continue living in that habitat,' he said, with young male tree-kangaroos being particularly susceptible to collisions.
"Most of the dead tree-kangaroos are young males, looking for new territory and in doing that, crossing roads more frequently than others," he said. "These young males are performing an important population task in spreading genes."
"One thing we can do to improve the situation would be to help people better understand the need to slow down on these roads," he said. "Most of the deaths will be from cars, and those cars are travelling too fast. Those accidents are easier to avoid if you're not travelling as fast," he said.
Hunt told Yahoo that the video gives locals and visitors "a clear view" of what they should be looking for on and around the roads.
"Tree-kangaroos are more active very early and late in the day, and overnight," she explained.
It's believed seasonal variations in temperature and rain, which affect food quality, are likely to impact the frequency of tree-kangaroos accessing the forest floor.
"This may well be why this individual has been seen on a number of occasions in the same area," she said.
"Drivers should be conscious of the species to look out for in the local region, and Australia is certainly well known for high frequency of kangaroo and wallaby activity during early morning, late in the day and overnight. These tree kangaroos are no different."
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