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Bennett's Tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus bennettianus)

Bennett’s tree-kangaroo is a large, mainly nocturnal, canopy-dwelling marsupial of the Wet Tropics in far north Queensland. It may be missed during ground searches, but clearing can remove rainforest canopy, vines and daytime roosting places. The species is listed as near threatened in Queensland and is protected wildlife. Tampering with its breeding place requires a species management program.

Conservation status

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Near threatened.

Breeding season

Bennett’s tree-kangaroos can breed throughout the year in far north Queensland. Breeding is considered opportunistic, with no fixed seasonal peak documented, although timing may vary between individuals, years and rainforest locations.

Breeding mode: Marsupial breeder. Breeding is likely opportunistic rather than restricted to a set season.

Litter size: One joey per year.

Gestation: Not recorded.

Pouch period: The joey remains in the pouch for around nine months.

Weaning: Full weaning occurs after a further three to eight months.

Age at maturity: Females become sexually mature at around two years.

Roost and breeding places: No distinct maternity site is described. Adults and young use vine-covered emergent tree canopies for daytime roosting, sometimes up to 40 m high.

Timing may vary between years, individuals, elevation and lowland or montane rainforest, so site checks should not be limited to a particular season.

  • Breeding, births and mating: Breeding and births may occur in any month because the species is considered an opportunistic breeder.
  • Dependent young, pouch and post-pouch care: Dependent young may be present year round because pouch and post-pouch care extend over many months.
  • Daytime roosting in vine-covered emergent canopies: Daytime roosting occurs throughout the year in high, vine-covered canopy sites.
  • Nocturnal foraging and canopy activity: The species is primarily nocturnal and forages in the rainforest canopy in all seasons.
  • Young male dispersal through eucalyptus woodland: Young males occasionally disperse through eucalyptus woodland, but no seasonal timing is established.
  • Highest clearing risk: Treat canopy clearing and construction disturbance as high risk in every month because breeding, dependent young and daytime roosting can occur year round.

Identification: Appearance and size

Bennett’s tree-kangaroo is a shy, agile macropod that spends most of its time in the canopy. It is larger than Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo and can be difficult to identify from the ground in dense rainforest.

Adults have grey brown to dark brown fur, a lighter fawn chin, throat and lower abdomen, a greyish forehead and muzzle, and black hands and feet. The tail is long and bushy, with a black patch near the base and a lighter patch higher up.

Males weigh about 11.5 to 14 kg. Females weigh about 8 to 10.6 kg. The body is about 69 to 76 cm long. Both sexes have longer forelimbs and shorter hindlimbs than ground dwelling kangaroos.

Identification: Calls and similar species

No reliable species specific call or echolocation cue is used for field identification. Detection is more likely to come from movement in the canopy than from a vocalisation.

The main similar species in Queensland is Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo. Bennett’s tree-kangaroo is generally larger and occurs north of the Daintree River, whereas Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo is more associated with the Atherton Tablelands and nearby forest edges, tracks and paddocks.

Identification: Field signs

Look for a long brown tail disappearing into undergrowth, a small brown shape high in the canopy, or a sudden crash of leaves followed by a thud as an animal drops or jumps from cover.

Droppings, nests, hollows, whitewash and distinctive stains are not reliable field signs described for this species. Do not assume that an apparently empty canopy is unused, especially where dense vines and emergent trees provide cover.

  • Movement in vine covered emergent crowns
  • A brief glimpse of a dark or brown animal high in the canopy
  • Leaf and branch movement followed by a thud on the forest floor

Distribution: Queensland range

In Australia, Bennett’s tree-kangaroo has a highly restricted range in far north eastern Queensland. Its distribution is centred on the Wet Tropics north of the Daintree River and extends towards Cooktown.

The species is confined to a rainforest area between the Daintree River and Cooktown. Its mapped range is approximately 70 by 50 km in some accounts, while other estimates describe an extent of about 1500 to 2500 km².

It occurs at both low and high elevations, including the rainforests around Cape Tribulation.

State: Queensland

Region: Wet Tropics and Cape York Peninsula, between the Daintree River and Cooktown

Distribution: Movement outside rainforest

Young males may occasionally disperse through eucalyptus woodland. A site with woodland adjoining rainforest should therefore not be treated as unsuitable without considering connectivity and nearby canopy habitat.

  • Check rainforest edges, gallery forest and adjoining eucalyptus woodland.
  • Consider connected habitat beyond the immediate clearing footprint.
  • Record canopy links and likely movement routes across the site.

Distribution: Site assessment

Range information is broad at the site scale, and the species remains poorly studied. Treat suitable rainforest canopy within its Queensland range as potential habitat, even where no animal is detected during a brief inspection.

  • Map lowland and montane rainforest.
  • Mark gallery forest along drainage lines.
  • Identify large emergent trees and dense vine covered canopy.
  • Record links between intact forest patches.

Habitat: Vegetation types

Bennett’s tree-kangaroo uses dense tropical rainforest from lowlands to mountain areas. On a works site, focus on intact canopy, emergent trees, vines and connections between forest patches.

Suitable habitat includes lowland and montane mesophyll vine forest, gallery forest and other dense tropical rainforest. The species may also occur near eucalyptus woodland, particularly where young males are dispersing.

The habitat is structurally complex. Study sites have included canopy around 25 m high with emergent trees reaching about 40 m.

  • Lowland tropical rainforest
  • Montane tropical rainforest
  • Mesophyll vine forest
  • Gallery forest
  • Rainforest adjoining eucalyptus woodland

Habitat: Landforms and site features

Look for rugged or steep rainforest terrain, drainage lines, gullies and continuous or partly continuous canopy. Dense foliage and tall emergent trees can conceal animals from people working at ground level.

A site may remain suitable even when the forest floor is open, disturbed or difficult to access, because the species spends most of its time above ground.

  • Steep or rugged rainforest slopes
  • Drainage lines and gallery forest
  • Continuous canopy and canopy gaps that can be crossed by animals
  • Large emergent trees with heavy vine growth

Habitat: Construction planning

Map the full vertical structure of the vegetation, not just the ground cover. Include trees and vines outside the clearing footprint where they may provide cover or maintain canopy connections.

Before clearing, inspect adjoining rainforest and identify whether access tracks, crane pads, temporary works or machinery could isolate or damage canopy habitat.

  • Keep clearing footprints as narrow as practicable.
  • Avoid unnecessary removal of emergent trees and large vines.
  • Maintain links between rainforest patches where practicable.
  • Brief workers that animals may be present above the work area.

Foraging habitat: Food plants and feeding areas

Bennett’s tree-kangaroo is an arboreal folivore that forages through the canopy, mainly at night. Retain a range of rainforest plants and connected canopy rather than focusing only on known food trees.

The diet includes leaves, ferns, vines and wild fruits. Recorded food plants include mile a minute vine, Decalobanthus peltatus, and fire vine, Tetracera daemeliana.

Other reported foods include leaves from a wide range of rainforest trees, umbrella tree, Heptapleurum actinophyllum, ferns and seasonal fruit.

  • Vine covered canopy
  • Mature rainforest trees with leafy crowns
  • Ferns and fruiting plants
  • Dense vegetation along canopy connections

Foraging habitat: Foraging structure

Foraging occurs in the treetops. Large crowns, lianas and vines provide access between feeding areas and may also provide cover from people and predators.

Ground level vegetation alone is not a useful measure of foraging habitat. Assess the canopy, emergent layer and climbing connections.

  • Inspect canopy continuity above proposed clearing.
  • Map large vines and lianas where they connect tree crowns.
  • Retain mature food producing trees where practicable.
  • Avoid severing canopy links with tracks, pads or utility corridors.

Foraging habitat: Works site precautions

If feeding is observed, pause nearby high noise or canopy work where practicable and allow the animal to move away. Do not attempt to drive an animal through the canopy or handle it unless directed by an appropriately authorised wildlife professional.

  • Record the plant being eaten and the height of the animal.
  • Photograph the animal and feeding tree from a safe distance.
  • Check nearby trees and vines before machinery enters the area.
  • Escalate observations to the fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist.

Breeding habitat: Breeding information

Specific breeding sites have not been defined for Bennett’s tree-kangaroo. Females with offspring use rainforest home ranges, so connected canopy and undisturbed roosting trees should be managed as potential breeding habitat.

Bennett’s tree-kangaroos are reported to produce one joey per year and to breed opportunistically. The joey remains in the pouch for about 9 months, is then weaned over a further 3 to 8 months, and may remain with its mother for about another year.

No nest, burrow, hollow or separate maternity structure is used as a standard field marker. A female with a young animal may use the same general rainforest canopy habitat as other individuals.

Female with offspring home range: Approximately 10 ha

Solitary male home range: Up to about 30 ha

Breeding habitat: Places to protect

Treat vine covered emergent trees, connected rainforest crowns and dense canopy within a female’s potential range as possible breeding habitat. Avoid assuming that a tree is unoccupied because no nest or pouch young is visible.

Particular care is needed where clearing would remove several adjoining trees or break a canopy connection.

  • Retain emergent trees and their supporting vines.
  • Protect adjoining canopy during tree felling and machinery movement.
  • Avoid isolating small rainforest patches.
  • Inspect the canopy before works begin.

Breeding habitat: Response to an animal or young

A female carrying a young animal may be difficult to distinguish from a solitary adult at a distance. If an animal is seen during clearing, stop work in the immediate area and obtain advice from the fauna spotter catcher or project ecologist before proceeding.

Queensland near threatened animals are protected wildlife. Tampering with a breeding place requires a species management program.

  • Stop the immediate activity if an animal is detected in the work zone.
  • Keep people and machinery away from the tree or canopy being used.
  • Do not capture, relocate or handle the animal without appropriate authority and advice.
  • Record the location, tree species, height, behaviour and direction of movement.

Sheltering habitat: Roosting features

The species is primarily nocturnal and spends the day roosting high in the canopy. Daytime shelter is most likely in vine covered emergent tree crowns, sometimes up to about 40 m above the ground.

Look for dense vine growth in emergent trees, broad supporting branches and concealed crown areas. The animal may crouch or sleep hunched over a branch and can be almost invisible from below.

Bennett’s tree-kangaroo rarely descends from its treetop roost. A ground search alone will not adequately assess sheltering habitat.

Typical activity pattern: Primarily nocturnal, with daytime roosting in the canopy

Reported roost height: Up to about 40 m

  • Vine covered emergent trees
  • Dense, concealed canopy
  • Large horizontal or angled branches
  • Continuous crowns linked by vines or lianas

Sheltering habitat: Inspection and clearing

Before clearing, inspect the crowns of large trees and the surrounding canopy from a suitable elevated vantage point where available. Thermal cameras or thermal drones may improve detection in dense foliage, subject to approvals, operator requirements and site safety controls.

Do not rely on a single ground based inspection in tall or heavily vegetated rainforest.

  • Inspect from the ground, canopy or another safe elevated vantage point.
  • Use thermal equipment only under an approved survey method.
  • Check trees before felling, trimming or winching.
  • Allow a fauna spotter catcher to direct work around detected animals.

Sheltering habitat: Night and daytime works

Night works may overlap with feeding and movement, while daytime works may disturb animals at roosts. Schedule canopy disturbance to avoid unnecessary overlap with either use where practicable, and retain nearby refuge trees during staged clearing.

  • Minimise night lighting directed into rainforest canopy.
  • Avoid sudden high noise near occupied trees.
  • Use staged clearing so animals have connected habitat to move into.
  • Monitor adjoining canopy after each clearing stage.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main development risks are loss and fragmentation of rainforest canopy, damage to roosting and feeding trees, and disturbance in dense habitat. Bennett’s tree-kangaroo is near threatened in Queensland, so avoidable impacts should be prevented and any detection should be managed promptly.

Removal of rainforest trees reduces feeding, sheltering and movement habitat. Breaking canopy connections can isolate animals and make movement between forest patches more difficult.

Prioritise retention of intact rainforest, emergent trees, gallery forest and canopy links.

  • Minimise the clearing footprint.
  • Avoid splitting continuous rainforest where practicable.
  • Retain buffers of intact vegetation around drainage lines and forest edges.
  • Rehabilitate temporary work areas with locally appropriate rainforest species.

Threats: Damage to canopy and vines

Felling, trimming, winching and machinery movement can damage trees that are used for feeding or daytime roosting. Removing large vines may also reduce cover and movement routes.

Treat apparently minor canopy pruning as a potential habitat impact, especially near emergent trees.

  • Inspect trees and vines before works.
  • Use controlled felling methods near retained habitat.
  • Prevent machinery from pushing into adjoining rainforest.
  • Protect retained trees from root, trunk and crown damage.

Threats: Climate and fire related pressure

Climate change may further restrict the species’ already limited rainforest habitat. Hotter or drier conditions and changes to rainforest structure can increase pressure on remaining habitat.

Fire, especially at rainforest margins, can damage canopy, vines and regeneration. Keep ignition sources and fuel management activities away from retained rainforest where practicable.

  • Protect rainforest edges from unnecessary disturbance.
  • Prevent sediment, weeds and altered drainage from degrading habitat.
  • Maintain canopy and moisture conditions in retained forest.
  • Include rainforest protection in fire and emergency planning.

Threats: Disturbance, detection and response

The species is cryptic and may remain undetected during routine ground checks. Dense foliage, tall canopy and steep terrain reduce detection, so a lack of sightings does not demonstrate absence.

If an animal is detected, stop the immediate activity, protect the tree and nearby canopy, and obtain direction from the fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist. Do not pursue, flush or relocate the animal without appropriate authority.

  • Record all sightings and movement sounds.
  • Use thermal survey methods for difficult canopy areas where approved.
  • Keep workers and machinery clear of occupied trees.
  • Review the work method after each detection.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Bennett’s tree kangaroo is a shy, mostly nocturnal canopy animal. It is poorly surveyed, so use more than one detection method and treat a single observation, feeding sign or movement sound as a reason to investigate further.

Map rainforest, gallery forest, vine forest and adjoining sclerophyll woodland within and near the work area. Include canopy connections, emergent trees, dense vine cover and habitat north of the Daintree River to Cooktown.

Review recent records, local knowledge, aerial imagery, proposed clearing, access tracks and likely canopy impacts. Check whether the area is within protected estate or other mapped habitat.

Activity: Mostly nocturnal, with daytime roosting in vine-covered emergent canopies.

Known range: Far north-eastern Queensland, between the Daintree River and Cooktown.

  • Ask Traditional Owners, land managers and local wildlife groups about recent sightings and known movement routes.
  • Identify tree-felling areas, crane pads, access routes and night works that could affect canopy habitat.
  • Plan surveys for both the ground layer and the canopy.

Survey methodology: 2. Ground and canopy detection

Conduct systematic spotlighting and handheld thermal-camera searches during suitable night conditions. Move slowly along tracks, edges and safe vantage points, and scan the canopy as well as the ground.

Use thermal drones where lawful, safe and operationally feasible. Aerial thermal surveys can detect animals through dense foliage, but confirm detections with RGB imagery or ground observations where possible.

Use elevated vantage points such as canopy walkways, mountaintops or research platforms where available. Do not rely on roadside spotlighting alone.

Study result: Six animals were detected across 17 ha in under an hour over three thermal-drone flights.

  • Survey during the evening and night when animals are more likely to be active, and include a morning or late-afternoon flight where thermal conditions and approvals allow.
  • Avoid heavy rain, strong wind, unsafe conditions and excessive canopy movement that reduce detection quality.
  • Record any tail disappearing into vegetation, canopy movement, feeding animal, thermal signature, crash of leaves or thud from a fleeing animal as a potential detection.
  • Maintain safe drone separation and follow aviation, landholder and wildlife ethics requirements. Do not chase, repeatedly circle or pressure an animal.

Survey methodology: 3. Survey effort and confirmation

Set effort according to the size, complexity and risk of the site. Increase effort where rainforest is dense, the canopy is tall, access is limited or clearing will remove emergent trees and vine-covered canopy.

Use repeat surveys when initial searches are negative but suitable habitat is present. A negative ground search does not demonstrate absence.

Confirm species identity with thermal and RGB imagery, clear photographs, expert review or authorised fauna specialists. Bennett’s tree kangaroo is larger than Lumholtz’s tree kangaroo, but identification should not rely on size alone.

Home ranges: Females with offspring have been estimated at about 10 ha, and solitary males at up to 30 ha.

  • Record surveyors, qualifications, date, start and finish time, method, weather, wind, cloud, rain, visibility, area searched and canopy height.
  • Record coordinates, habitat type, canopy position, height, behaviour, direction of movement, number of animals and confidence in identification.
  • Map each detection and distinguish an individual animal from repeated detections where possible.
  • Report evidence of young, female with offspring, daytime roosting, feeding or repeated use of a tree or canopy area.

Survey methodology: 4. Interpretation of results

Treat detections as evidence of use of the wider habitat, not only the tree where the animal was seen. Females with offspring and solitary males may use sizeable areas, and males can move through adjoining woodland.

Do not infer a breeding place from a roost alone. Daytime roosting occurs in vine-covered emergent canopies, while species-specific breeding-place information is limited.

Escalate the site assessment if animals are detected, if canopy connectivity will be broken or if works will remove likely roosting trees.

  • Keep clearing boundaries flexible until the fauna spotter catcher and ecologist have assessed detected animals and nearby canopy.
  • Use the precautionary approach required for an EVNT species.
  • Seek advice from the relevant Queensland authority when the proposed action may affect an animal, breeding place or protected habitat.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Desktop assessment and approvals

Plan the work around habitat retention and early regulatory review. Bennett’s tree kangaroo has no reliable breeding season in which clearing can automatically be considered safe, so avoid relying on seasonal timing alone.

Confirm the current Queensland conservation listing before work starts. In Queensland, Bennett’s tree kangaroo is near threatened and is protected wildlife.

Assess whether the action may be a significant impact under the EPBC Act and whether an EPBC referral is required. Obtain advice and any approval before starting a controlled action.

Check whether the work may tamper with a breeding place. Obtain or comply with a Queensland species management program where required, and secure any relevant state permits, authority or wildlife approvals.

  • Engage the project ecologist early, before design is fixed.
  • Check protected-area, vegetation-clearing, planning, Aboriginal cultural heritage, aviation and animal ethics requirements that apply to the site.
  • Keep copies of approvals, conditions, maps and contact details at the site office and in the spotter catcher vehicle.
  • Do not assume that a general clearing approval authorises handling, relocation or disturbance of this species.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and site design

Retain rainforest and canopy connections wherever practicable. Prioritise vine-covered emergent trees, mature canopy, gallery forest and links between lowland and montane rainforest.

Move infrastructure, access tracks, crane locations and laydown areas away from intact canopy and likely roosting habitat. Avoid isolating retained forest patches.

Design works to minimise night lighting, noise, vibration and repeated drone flights near occupied canopy.

  • Mark no-go habitat and retained trees clearly before mobilisation.
  • Keep machinery, spoil, fuel, materials and workers outside retained habitat unless access is approved and supervised.
  • Stage works so animals can move toward continuous retained habitat rather than into roads, open ground or active work zones.
  • Use existing disturbed areas for compounds and access where possible.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance survey and breeding assessment

Complete the approved pre-clearance survey close enough to clearing for the result to remain reliable. Search the canopy, likely roost trees, ground, access routes and adjoining habitat.

Use thermal drone or elevated surveys where dense foliage, rugged terrain or tall canopy limits ground detection. Have an ecologist assess any detection before clearance boundaries are released.

Because breeding is opportunistic, plan for females with pouch young or dependent young at any time of year. One joey is generally produced at a time, and young may remain associated with the mother for an extended period.

  • Survey all trees and canopy that will be removed, lopped, accessed or isolated.
  • Repeat the search if conditions were poor, if the work footprint changes or if an animal is detected after the survey.
  • Identify and mark any occupied roost, female with offspring, dependent young or suspected breeding place.
  • Stop planning for that area until the approved management response is confirmed.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Buffers, exclusion and crew induction

Set site-specific exclusion areas around detected animals, occupied roosts, suspected breeding places and retained canopy. The ecologist should define the extent using the animal’s position, likely movement path, tree-felling method and risk of falling limbs or canopy collapse.

No generic species buffer is established here. Use the largest practical exclusion area that prevents disturbance and accidental harm, then document the basis and approval for any reduction.

  • Fence or flag exclusion areas and show them on the site map.
  • Brief every worker, operator and subcontractor before entry to the work area.
  • Explain the species’ appearance, likely canopy position, signs of presence, stop-work process and prohibition on unauthorised handling.
  • Nominate the fauna spotter catcher as the person who can stop work and release an area for clearing.
  • Keep a wildlife incident board or contact sheet at the crib room and site office.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Clear habitat in a controlled sequence and keep the fauna spotter catcher in direct contact with the clearing crew. Work must stop whenever an animal, active breeding place or occupied roost could be affected.

Clear from the least disturbed edge toward retained habitat, where the site layout allows. Retain connected escape routes and avoid trapping an animal between machinery, roads and open ground.

Use low-speed, staged clearing. Remove understorey and access hazards first, then reassess the canopy before felling trees.

Do not fell a tree containing an animal, suspected roost or dependent young until the approved response has been implemented.

  • Inspect the work zone immediately before each clearing shift.
  • Clear small areas in stages rather than opening the whole footprint at once.
  • Pause after each stage and search the canopy, ground and adjoining retained vegetation.
  • Use spotters at the felling face and at likely escape routes.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Stop-work and animal handling

The fauna spotter catcher has authority to stop work at any time. Only appropriately authorised and trained personnel may approach, capture, handle, restrain or transport an animal.

Do not encourage a Bennett’s tree kangaroo to jump, chase it through the canopy or attempt a capture from an unsafe height. Allow escape into retained habitat when this can occur without exposing the animal to additional risk.

  • Stop machinery and secure the immediate work area when an animal is seen or suspected.
  • Keep workers, vehicles, dogs and unnecessary noise away from the animal.
  • Contact the project ecologist and relevant wildlife authority if capture, containment or relocation may be required.
  • Record the animal’s location, behaviour, condition, direction of movement and the action taken before work resumes.
  • Release the area only when the authorised fauna professional confirms that the risk has been controlled.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Active breeding place, colony or roost

If an active breeding place, female with offspring, dependent young, occupied roost or repeated group use is found, stop work in the affected area. Do not remove, damage or disturb the site until the ecologist has confirmed the legal and management response.

Bennett’s tree kangaroo does not form known colonies, and its breeding-place requirements are poorly understood. Treat a group of animals or repeated use of a canopy as significant until assessed.

  • Establish and maintain an exclusion area around the affected tree and adjoining canopy.
  • Notify the superintendent, project ecologist and approval holder immediately.
  • Check whether a Queensland species management program, state permit, EPBC approval or variation is required before proceeding.
  • Document the site, photographs, animal condition, evidence of young, proposed controls and authorisations.
  • Do not relocate a breeding place or young unless specifically authorised and directed by a suitably qualified wildlife professional.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Injured or grounded animal pathway

Treat a grounded, injured, heat-stressed or trapped animal as a wildlife incident. Keep people and machinery away and minimise noise, light and handling.

Use the project’s authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian pathway. Do not feed, water, medicate or transport the animal unless directed by an authorised professional.

  • Stop work around the animal and protect it from vehicles, dogs, sun and further falls.
  • Contact the fauna spotter catcher, wildlife carer, veterinarian and relevant authority using the site emergency contacts.
  • Use a quiet, ventilated holding method only if an authorised handler directs it and the animal cannot be safely left in place.
  • Record the time, location, injury, photographs, handler, advice received, transport and final outcome.
  • Review whether the work method caused or contributed to the incident before restarting.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Daily records and release of work

Maintain a fauna register for every shift. Link records to the clearing map, tree number, work area and approval condition.

Release work progressively, not as a single approval for the whole site.

  • Record searches, sightings, thermal-drone flights, roosts, breeding evidence, stop-work events, captures, relocations, injuries and deaths.
  • Record weather, visibility, survey method, personnel and area cleared.
  • Photograph and map exclusion zones, retained trees and any animal movement route.
  • Have the fauna spotter catcher and site supervisor sign the daily clearance record.
  • Escalate any breach of approval, injury, death or unauthorised handling immediately.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Immediate post-clearance checks

Post-clearance checks confirm that no animal remains in the footprint and that retained habitat has not been damaged. Monitoring should focus on occupied habitat, canopy connectivity and any animal that was displaced, handled or relocated.

Inspect the cleared footprint, tree bases, felled material, machinery exclusion areas and adjoining retained vegetation after each clearing stage. Search for animals, young, injured wildlife and signs of accidental damage.

Complete a final canopy and ground check before the area is handed to construction crews.

  • Use thermal equipment where visibility is poor or the canopy is dense.
  • Check retained trees for broken limbs, unstable vines, damaged crowns and loss of canopy connection.
  • Remove hazards such as open trenches, unsecured pits and loose wire before releasing the site.
  • Keep exclusion areas in place until the fauna professional confirms that post-clearance checks are complete.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Relocated or displaced animals

Record every animal that is captured, moved or displaced, including the release location and reason. Relocation should be avoided unless required for welfare or authorised management.

Use release habitat that is continuous with suitable rainforest and away from active construction, roads, dogs and artificial lighting.

  • Follow the approved relocation plan and any wildlife authority direction.
  • Record sex, age class where known, condition, identifying fur markings, photographs, capture method, transport and release time.
  • Record the release coordinates, habitat, canopy condition and distance from the impact area.
  • Check the animal after release where this can be done without further disturbance.
  • Arrange follow-up monitoring for any animal that required treatment, containment or relocation.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Reporting and compliance

Provide the regulator, approval holder and project ecologist with a consolidated fauna report. Include both positive and negative findings, as well as all stop-work events.

Report injuries, deaths, breeding-place disturbance, approval breaches and unauthorised handling through the required Queensland and project channels.

  • Submit records within the timeframes in the approval, species management program or permit.
  • Include maps, photographs, survey effort, weather, personnel, incidents, mitigation and outcomes.
  • Compare actual clearing and canopy loss with the approved footprint.
  • Retain raw thermal imagery, RGB imagery, field sheets and GPS data in the project archive.
  • Notify the relevant authority if monitoring identifies ongoing harm or an unanticipated impact.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review and adaptive management

Review every incident before similar work continues. Bennett’s tree kangaroo is elusive and poorly studied, so site observations can improve later decisions when they are recorded consistently.

Update the clearing method, exclusion areas, survey timing and crew induction when monitoring shows that controls are ineffective.

  • Hold a short review with the fauna spotter catcher, ecologist, supervisor and operators.
  • Identify the cause, missed warning signs, response time and effectiveness of controls.
  • Update the risk assessment and environmental management plan.
  • Share de-identified lessons with relevant land managers and Traditional Owners where appropriate.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore canopy habitat

Rehabilitation should restore connected rainforest canopy and the plant structure used for feeding and daytime shelter. Bennett’s tree kangaroo has no established requirement for nest boxes or artificial roosts, so habitat restoration is preferable to manufactured structures.

Replant cleared edges and disturbed areas with locally appropriate rainforest species from suitable local provenance. Re-establish a layered canopy, mid-storey and understorey rather than a sparse tree row.

Restore vine-covered canopy and emergent-tree structure where it is consistent with the ecological restoration plan. Include food plants known to be used by the species, such as mile-a-minute vine, fire vine, ferns and suitable rainforest foliage.

  • Reconnect retained forest patches and canopy movement routes.
  • Protect planted areas from browsing, fire, machinery, erosion and compaction.
  • Use progressive rehabilitation so exposed edges are stabilised as soon as practicable.
  • Retain safe fallen timber and natural ground cover where it does not create a construction hazard.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Artificial structures and breeding places

Do not install nest boxes, bat boxes or generic artificial nest sites as a default measure for Bennett’s tree kangaroo. The species roosts in vine-covered emergent canopies and does not have a demonstrated requirement for boxes or constructed roost structures.

Consider an artificial structure only where a qualified ecologist develops a species-specific design, the relevant authority approves it and monitoring can test whether it is used.

  • Prioritise retention and replacement of mature trees, vines and connected canopy over manufactured structures.
  • Do not place bat boxes or hollow-dependent fauna boxes in the expectation that they will benefit this tree kangaroo.
  • If an artificial roost or canopy structure is trialled, document its design, height, access, safety, location and intended function.
  • Inspect the structure without disturbing animals and remove or modify it if it creates a welfare or collision risk.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Weeds, water and site conditions

Control weeds that smother regeneration, alter rainforest structure or reduce food plants. Use methods that minimise chemical exposure, noise and damage to retained vegetation.

Protect natural drainage and rainforest moisture. Bennett’s tree kangaroo depends on rainforest habitat, but no species-specific artificial water facility is established.

  • Use locally suitable weed-control methods and keep herbicide away from waterways, food plants and wildlife.
  • Prevent sediment, concrete washout, fuel and rubbish from entering drainage lines.
  • Retain natural watercourses and shaded, humid conditions where possible.
  • Do not create open tanks, pits or artificial water points without wildlife-safe covers, escape devices or an approved design.
  • Remove temporary lighting, fencing and construction hazards when no longer required.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Lighting and operational disturbance

Limit night lighting near retained rainforest and rehabilitated canopy. The species is primarily nocturnal, so lighting can alter movement and foraging conditions.

Keep permanent infrastructure, traffic and noisy plant away from retained habitat where practicable.

  • Use the lowest effective light level and direct light only onto the task area.
  • Avoid upward spill, broad floodlighting and lighting of canopy connections.
  • Use timers, shields and warm-colour lighting where compatible with safety and approval conditions.
  • Retain dark movement corridors between forest patches.
  • Inspect lighting after commissioning and correct spill into habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Long-term monitoring

Monitor rehabilitation until canopy structure, connectivity and vegetation condition are established. Use the same methods over time so changes in detection are interpretable.

Include thermal-drone, handheld thermal, spotlighting and elevated observations where lawful and suitable. Do not equate lack of detections with absence.

  • Set monitoring points across restored edges, retained forest and canopy links.
  • Record detections, roosting, feeding, movement, fur markings, habitat condition, weeds and damage.
  • Monitor after major storms, fire, weed outbreaks or changes in night lighting.
  • Review results with the land manager and adjust planting, weed control and access controls.
  • Maintain monitoring for the period required by approvals, and extend it where the species continues to use the site or impacts remain.

Sources