The rediscovery of Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna

We're delighted to finally confirm Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna has been rediscovered more than sixty years after it was last encountered by science

After three and a half years of tireless planning, research and reconnaissance, the Expedition Cyclops team is thrilled to announce that they have rediscovered Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna.

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To ensure the future conservation of Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna and their only home, the Cyclops Mountains, we need to continue our research in the Cyclops and continue training Papuan biology sutdents in biodiversity survey and conservation methods. Help us by signing up for a paid subscription!

Each regular subscription pays for an extra day of field research, and Echidna Superfan subscriptions fund a Papuan student's training in biodiversity survey methods, such as camera trapping.

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This is the first photo of the echidna, captured by one of the eighty camera traps set up by the expedition team in the Cyclops Mountains.

Announcement of the rediscovery has been covered in The Times, The New York Times, and BBC News, among others. We’ve included some highlights below!

An Expedition Finds a ‘Lost’ Mammal and a Shrimp That Lives in Trees - New York Times

A scientific expedition to a treacherous mountain range on the island of New Guinea has collected the first-ever photographic evidence confirming the survival of a bizarre, egg-laying mammal. The team also found dozens of undescribed species of insects, as well as newfound arachnids, amphibians and even a shrimp that dwells in trees.

Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna rediscovered in Indonesia - The Times

Images from The Times article on the expedition.

By the time the explorers returned to sea level from each days-long ascent, they were riddled with leech wounds and tick bites. They ate only rice, oats, instant noodles and tinned tuna, plus the odd chocolate bar or sweet. “It’s extraordinary up there,” Kempton said after the first climb, the picture of an Edwardian adventurer in shin-high leather boots. “It’s the most amazing place I’ve been in my life. It’s like a sacred paradise.” Beside him, Balazs added: “It’s green hell.”

First ever images prove 'lost echidna' not extinct - BBC News

Dr Kempton says he hopes that rediscovery of the echidna and the other new species will help build the case for conservation in the Cyclops Mountains. Despite being critically endangered, Attenborough's long-beaked echidna is not currently a protected species in Indonesia. The scientists don't know how big the population is, or if it is sustainable.

"Given so much of that rainforest hasn't been explored, what else is out there that we haven't yet discovered? The Attenborough long-beaked echidna is a symbol of what we need to protect - to ensure we can discover it."

We will send some more updates soon, including the imminent submission of our paper on rediscovering the echidna and announcing further discoveries and findings from the expedition.

Until then, thank you for supporting our work by subscribing to our mailing list. We want to express our gratitude to our partners in Indonesia, including Badan Riset Dan Inovasi Nasional (BRIN), Balai Besar Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Papua (BBKSDA Papua), Universitas Cenderawasih (UNCEN), Institut Teknologi Bandung, Kolaborasi Inklusi Konservasi (Konklusi) and Yayasan Pelayanan Papua Nenda (YAPPENDA) for making this work possible. We will be highlighting some of our partners and our incredible Indonesian team soon, but for now, you can find out more on our website.