Black Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus ursinus), One Aspect of Indonesian Visitor Vision at Taman Safari Indonesia

S. Prastiti, Animal Curator

Taman Safari

Cisarua – Bogor

Indonesia

amicurator@tamansafari.net

Taman Safari Indonesia (TSI) is one the zoo that establish since 1986 have a concept to conserving animals as ex-situ conservation in Indonesia . Since then there is huge number of successful breeding takes places in TSI. There are about 265 species animals from 2500 individuals living in our park, and the most popular in successful breeding is mammals. Mostly are Indonesian endemic animals, and one of it is black tree kangaroo.

Black tree kangaroo found in some part of Papua New Guinea , many Indonesian called the location is Irian. Known also as tree kangaroo bird of paradises as a local name, probably the name is related with its distribution where the bird of paradise comes from. With unique performance that average length is 55-66 cm and tail length is 60-65 cm, black tree kangaroo like to climb the tree until the top of it. Male has the body weight heavier than the female, it can up to 16 kg, when the female average between 8-13 kg for an adult one. Dendrolagus ursinus has their own characteristic that has a round body in spite of not too heavy, with long brown blackish hair, has light brown colour in their stomach, lighter at the face, has white and brown colour at their throat and cheek and can’t see the ear because of long hair with white yellowish at the edge.

TSI has been received black tree kangaroo since 1994 at the first time when it came from donation from local people. A year later the number developed when Indonesian government give us a pair of black tree kangaroo as confiscated animals. The first baby born at the first time in 1999 and it followed with the other one in 2006. However we can’t hold the parent when the mother found died on 2008.

When the first time looked after we put them together with wallabies at the same area. At that time the area was very wet and too muddy also too small for them to express their own natural behaviour. In spite of we put into night stall during the night time, however it was not enough space for them for living and they can’t stand with humid during the night time. Probably these conditions that caused it died. Located at the same area, we build the special building as a native Papua home style with the bigger size both holding and exhibit area. We separated into exhibit and holding areas, with the dimension of exhibit is 20x20 m2 where put natural tree and an artificial tree inside there. Holding area divide into 4 night stall with dimension 2x1.5x5 m per each cage and one breeding cage with dimension 2x4x5 m. The temperature of holding area is 20-220C and the humidity is 60%.

Feeding is one of our concerns for black tree kangaroo. We feed them with 40% local jungle leaf, 30% vegetable, 10%fruit, 10% grass, 5% bean and 5% pellet or monkey chow. We feed them divided into 3 times feeding, and some of the food hanged into the exhibit area as an enrichment during the day. As a nocturnal animal, they eat food during the night time in the night stall.

Reproduction observed three times a year when they don’t have litter. When the mother has infant in her pouch she copulated one time per year with male. The baby will stay at her mother pouch until 10 months of age and will release from its mother’s pouch afterward. In spite of sometimes she/he still milking from the mother pouch.

The observation and development building of black tree kangaroo in our park is one of the key role from our Indonesian native wild animal. Perhaps part of these secret lies in the experience of keepers will give effort to conserve wild animal both in situ and ex-situ especially in our country.