An adventurous expedition through the treacherous Cyclops Mountains in Indonesia’s Papua province has culminated in the rediscovery of the Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna, a critically endangered and unique egg-laying mammal, unseen for more than six decades. The 25-person crew of Expedition Cyclops faced numerous challenges, including malaria, earthquakes, and a harrowing incident with a leech, to uncover this symbol of the region’s biodiversity.
James Kempton, the leader of the Oxford-based team, likened the daunting journey through the mountains to climbing a ladder with rotting wood rungs, surrounded by spikes, thorns, and falling rocks. Despite these obstacles, the team’s perseverance paid off. The Cyclops Mountains, spanning less than 90 square miles and plagued by illegal hunting, are the only known habitat for the Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna, listed on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.
Kempton’s team strategically set up over 30 camera traps in search of the echidna, deducing its presence from distinctive holes in the ground used for foraging worms. Their efforts were rewarded on the final day of the expedition when the last images on the last SD card revealed the elusive creature. This discovery brought immense relief and euphoria to the team, providing crucial scientific evidence of the echidna’s existence.
The critically endangered status of the Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna remains unchanged and lacks protection under Indonesian law. The Expedition Cyclops included over six local partners, including Indigenous groups, students, and Indonesian government organizations, aiming to raise awareness and funds for research and protection of the Cyclops Mountains.
The Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna is not just a rare species; it represents a vital part of an evolutionary history dating back over 200 million years. As a monotreme, it belongs to a unique group of mammals that lay eggs instead of bearing live young. This group includes only five existing species: the platypus and four echidna species. The potential extinction of such a branch would be a significant loss to biological diversity and evolutionary history.
The expedition’s goals extended beyond the echidna. The team also investigated the origins of the Cyclops Mountains’ biodiversity, discovering hundreds of new insect species, at least two new frog species, and a unique land and tree-dwelling shrimp species. The mountains’ unique geological origins, once islands in the Pacific Ocean, have significantly contributed to this rich biodiversity. Additionally, the team rediscovered Mayr’s honeyeater, a bird species not seen for 15 years.
This expedition underscores the importance of preserving and studying such unique ecosystems, which hold secrets to our planet’s past and present biodiversity.