Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program (TKCP)
The Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program (TKCP) began in 1996 as a conservation research study to determine the status of the endangered Matschie’s tree kangaroo. One of Papua New Guinea’s longest-running and most successful conservation efforts, TKCP works with local communities to establish and manage the YUS Conservation Area (YUS CA), named for the Yopno, Uruwa, and Som rivers, in Morobe Province. A Category VI IUCN Protected Area, the YUS CA is the first and only protected area of its type in PNG –providing protection at the landscape scale, wholly owned by local people, and with the support of the PNG Government for long-term protection. The Matschie’s tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) remains the flagship species for the overall conservation program, while TKCP has expanded to support the needs of the wildlife, habitat, and communities throughout YUS. The YUS Landscape, consisting of land pledged for conservation as well as buffer areas of mixed use, encompasses over 158,000 hectares (390,000 acres) ranging from coastal reefs to 4,000-meter peaks. Nearly 70% of the YUS landscape is covered by a large unbroken tract of rainforest and home to a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna.