Giant Rat Found In Indonesia

Researchers Spot New Species In Remote Jungle; Tiny Possum Also Found

(AP)  Researchers in a remote jungle in Indonesia have discovered a giant rat and a tiny possum that are apparently new to science, underscoring the stunning biodiversity of the Southeast Asian nation, scientists said Monday.

Unearthing new species of mammals in the 21st century is considered very rare. The discoveries by a team of American and Indonesian scientists are being studied further to confirm their status.

The animals were found in the Foja mountains rainforest in eastern Papua province in a June expedition, said U.S.-based Conservation International, which organized the trip along with the Indonesian Institute of Science.

"The giant rat is about five times the size of a typical city rat," said Kristofer Helgen, a scientist with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. "With no fear of humans, it apparently came into the camp several times during the trip."

The possum was described as "one of the worlds smallest marsupials."

A 2006 expedition to the same stretch of jungle - dubbed by Conservation International as a "Lost World" because until then humans had rarely visited it - unearthed scores of exotic new species of palms, butterflies and palms.

Papua has some of the world's largest tracts of rainforest, but like elsewhere in Indonesia they are being ravaged by illegal logging. Scientists said last year that the Foja area was not under immediate threat, largely because it was so remote.

"It's comforting to know that there is a place on Earth so isolated that it remains the absolute realm of wild nature," said expedition leader Bruce Beehler. "We were pleased to see that this little piece of Eden remains as pristine and enchanting as it was when we first visited."

[antoniof123]

Posted by jmcgilvray at 10:11 PM : Dec 17, 2007

if you saw Florida "panther" then you are very lucky because there are less than 20 left and soon to be extinct in this State.

We tried to save them but I don''t think it is possible too many people down here now and they are very territorial. Beautiful animals though too bad man thinks he can just do as he pleases.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by Nancy_Naive

For shame, Nancy, insulting the noble rat like that, when was the last time a rat ever lied to you, and sent your kids off to die, so they could steal money from you?

[brianbwb-2009]

Just more of the same old same old, the locals have known these animals for centuries, but it hasn''t been "discovered" until a "White" man sees it.

[brianbwb-2009]

If the US had helped Ho chi Minh kick the frogs out of Indo China, and left the Indonesian people alone to evolve self rule under Aussie guidance; there would never have been a Viet-Nam war, and New Guinea would now have a new giant non-indonesian rat.
Posted by Seafang

And the Indonesians would today be a slave colony of Australia, the people would have been victims of Australian conducted genocide, the few left mired in abject poverty, and it would be an Australian rat.

[mcv57]

Yeah, it definitly voted for Bush, and maybe have even been on his staff.

Posted by christiansin

That is not very Christ-like; on the other hand, God loves justice. So, next time: HANG THAT TREASONIST RAT GEORGE W. BUSH. That would be more justified.

[mcv57]

Yeah, it definitly voted for Bush, and maybe have even been on his staff.

Posted by christiansin

That is not very Christ-like; on the other hand, God loves justice. So, next time HANG THAT TREASONIST DOG GEORGE W BUSH. That would be more justied.

[gmond]

Only one picture was released apparently, saw it earlier on another news site. Cute little guy.

[magoo2u1]

NEWS FLASH !!!
GIANT Republican rats found in White House!! Sources say it may take until 2009 to have them removed.

See FISA article for full details on the size of the rat.

[lucky1267]

you can see a picture of it at NG website
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/photogalleries/giantrat-pictures/index.html

[seafang]

Well I''m sorry; but other than for political expediency; I see no relationship beyween New Guinea and this place called Indonesia. There simply is no ethnic connection between the peoples of new Guinea, and the Asians of Indonesia.

It was the US post WW-II anti-colonial policy pushed by Atty gen RFK, that went awry, and forced New Guinea, which was then under Australian protectorate courtesy of the UN, that saddled the peoples of New Guinea.Papua to accept Indonesian colonial rule. The same US screwup in so-called French Indo-China allowed the post war French to re-colonize Indo-China, which ultimately led to the Viet-Nam war. If the US had helped Ho chi Minh kick the frogs out of Indo China, and left the Indonesian people alone to evolve self rule under Aussie guidance; there would never have been a Viet-Nam war, and New Guinea would now have a new giant non-indonesian rat.