Echidna Previously Thought to be Extinct Rediscovered

A long-beaked echidna that was once believed extinct, has been caught on film for the first time ever.

The egg-laying mammal – which is scientifically known as Zaglossus attenboroughi, named after Sir David Attenborough – was rediscovered living in the Cyclops Mountains on the island of New Guinea, Indonesia.

“I was euphoric, the whole team was euphoric,” Dr James Kempton, who was part of the Oxford University research team, told an international publication on Thursday, 9 November.

“I’m not joking when I say it came down to the very last SD card that we looked at, from the very last camera that we collected, on the very last day of our expedition,” he added enthusiastically.

Kempton reported that Attenborough (the human, not the animal) is “absolutely delighted” with the news.

The treacherous expedition challenged the researchers with steep, slippery mountain slopes, venomous snakes, tree-dwelling leeches with a penchant for dropping down on humans below, and even two earthquakes.

However, it seems like the journey was worth it, as the scientists were also able to document dozens of undescribed species of insects, arachnids, amphibians and surprisingly, a type of shrimp that dwells in trees.

Image Credit: Source