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Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi)

Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo is a small, mostly solitary macropod found in the Wet Tropics rainforests of north Queensland, especially around the Atherton Tablelands. It uses high tree canopies but may cross between rainforest patches, so clearing, roads, dogs and construction activity can cause injury, displacement or death. It is listed as near threatened in Queensland and is protected wildlife. Tampering with a breeding place requires a species management program.

Conservation status

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Near threatened.

Breeding season

Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo can breed throughout the year, with no defined breeding season recorded. Timing is expected to be broadly similar across its Queensland range, but local breeding activity and the presence of dependent young can vary.

Breeding mode: Marsupial. The female gives birth to one young, which attaches to a teat in the pouch.

Breeding frequency: Breeding occurs year-round. No specific breeding season is recorded.

Gestation: Reported gestation is 42 to 48 days in one account and 47 to 64 days in another.

Dependent young: The young first emerges from the pouch at about 246 to 275 days, or approximately 250 days in one account. Weaning is reported after a further 87 to 240 days.

Age at maturity: Females can mature from slightly over 2 years. Males mature at about 4.5 years.

Breeding or shelter site: The young develops in the female's pouch. Adults sleep during the day on branches high in the canopy. Nests and maternity roosts are not recorded.

Local conditions, food availability, individual breeding cycles and regional differences may shift activity between years, so fauna checks and staged clearing controls should apply in every month.

  • Mating and births: Mating and births may occur in any month because the species has no defined breeding season.
  • Dependent young in pouch or with mother: Dependent young may be present throughout the year because births occur year-round and pouch or post-pouch dependence lasts many months.
  • Nocturnal canopy activity and daytime branch shelter: Individuals are generally active from dusk and at night, then rest crouched on branches high in the canopy during the day.
  • Dispersal and movement between rainforest patches: Movement between rainforest patches can occur in any month for dispersal and mating, with possible exposure to roads and dogs.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing risk is present in every month because breeding is year-round and dependent young may be in the pouch or with the mother.

Identification: Appearance and size

Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo is a small, long-tailed kangaroo adapted for life in the canopy. It is mostly nocturnal and may be difficult to detect during ordinary ground-based searches.

The fur is short and grizzled grey to brown. The muzzle, toes and tail tip are black. The forearms are long and muscular, and the back feet are short and wide with soft gripping pads.

The tail is long and used for balance while climbing and moving along branches. The species moves well in trees but walks awkwardly on the ground.

  • Adults stand no more than about 60 cm tall.
  • The tail is almost 1 m long.
  • Males can weigh up to 10 kg and females up to 7 kg.

Identification: Calls and similar species

No reliable call or echolocation feature is available for site identification. Do not treat the absence of calls as evidence that the species is absent.

Bennett's tree-kangaroo is the other tree-kangaroo in the Wet Tropics. Its distribution begins around the Carbine Tableland, so species identification should be checked carefully in northern sites.

Identification: Field signs

A small brown lump high in the canopy, a long furry tail disappearing into vegetation, or a sudden crash of leaves followed by a thud may indicate a tree-kangaroo. These signs are brief and can be missed.

The species sleeps crouched on a high branch during the day. Look up into the canopy before clearing, particularly where dense foliage connects mature trees.

  • Search canopy branches, tree trunks and connected crowns.
  • Check the direction of movement if an animal jumps or descends from a tree.
  • Record photographs and the tree location where possible.
  • Do not rely on droppings, nests, hollows, whitewash, stains or odour as primary identification signs. No distinctive site sign of these types is established for this species.

Distribution: Queensland range

The species is endemic to Queensland and has a relatively restricted range in the Wet Tropics. A site may still be used intermittently even when animals are not seen during a survey.

The range is centred on the Atherton Tablelands in tropical north Queensland. It extends through Wet Tropics rainforest from the Daintree area and the Daintree River south towards the Cardwell Range and Kirrama.

The species is mapped in Queensland only. No overseas range is relevant.

  • Wet Tropics of north Queensland.
  • Atherton Tablelands.
  • Rainforest between the Daintree and the Cardwell Range.
  • Kirrama to the Daintree River in broader Wet Tropics descriptions.

Distribution: Site assessment

Treat connected rainforest and forest patches within this range as potential habitat, especially at higher elevations. Database records alone should not be used to rule out presence.

The species may move between rainforest patches to disperse and mate. A site can therefore be relevant even if it is not used continuously.

  • Review WildNet and other approved fauna records before works.
  • Map remnant and regrowth rainforest, canopy links, creek lines and road crossings.
  • Check whether proposed access tracks or clearing will isolate forest patches.
  • Record nearby records and likely movement routes in the clearing plan.

Habitat: Core habitat

Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo spends most of its time in the canopy of Wet Tropics rainforest. On a works site, focus on retaining connected, structurally diverse forest rather than isolated individual trees alone.

The main habitat is highland rainforest, generally above 300 m. The species uses branches and trunks for climbing, resting and movement.

Potential core habitat includes Mesophyll to Notophyll Vine Forest and Notophyll to Microphyll Vine Forest. Both remnant and suitable regrowth vegetation may be relevant.

  • Highland rainforest above about 300 m.
  • Dense tree canopy with connected crowns.
  • Mature trees, vines, shrubs and epiphytes.
  • Forested creek lines and links between larger rainforest patches.

Habitat: Features to map before clearing

Map the full vegetation patch, not only the proposed clearing footprint. Include canopy connections, narrow corridors, creek crossings and likely routes between patches.

Retain habitat wherever practicable. A project fauna assessment proposed retaining about 500 ha, or about 74 percent of a project area, and restoring about 12 ha of riparian vegetation. These figures are project specific and are not universal buffers.

  • Canopy corridors and stepping stones between forest patches.
  • Large trees with dense foliage and strong branch connections.
  • Riparian vegetation and stream crossings.
  • Edges where clearing, roads or construction noise may affect retained forest.

Habitat: Preclearing checks

Before clearing, inspect trees and the surrounding canopy for a sleeping animal. Use a fauna spotter catcher during clearing and stop work at a location if fauna are found until the required management response is confirmed.

  • Inspect from the ground and, where safe, from suitable elevated viewpoints.
  • Use progressive clearing so animals have an opportunity to move into retained habitat.
  • Keep clearing widths as narrow as practicable.
  • Include canopy and ground movement routes in the clearing risk assessment.

Foraging habitat: Food and feeding places

The species feeds mainly in the canopy and is herbivorous. It eats leaves and fruits from a wide range of rainforest plants, so foraging habitat is usually associated with diverse, leafy vegetation rather than a single food plant.

Food includes leaves and fruits from trees, vines, shrubs, epiphytes and flowers. More than 37 plant species have been reported as food plants.

Animals may feed in the canopy during the evening and at night. Ground observations are therefore less useful than canopy checks.

  • Dense leafy canopy.
  • Fruiting rainforest trees and vines.
  • Epiphyte rich branches.
  • Vegetation with several canopy layers and connected crowns.

Foraging habitat: Foraging areas on works sites

Treat remnant and mature regrowth rainforest as potential foraging habitat where it is connected to other forest. Narrow strips can still be used for movement and feeding, even when they are not permanent home range habitat.

Avoid unnecessary removal of vines, shrubs and epiphytes from retained forest. Protect retained vegetation from machinery damage, dust, lighting and edge disturbance.

  • Keep machinery out of retained root zones and canopy edges where practicable.
  • Prevent stockpiled soil, spoil and materials from encroaching on retained vegetation.
  • Limit night lighting near forest edges and canopy corridors.
  • Control domestic dogs and keep them away from fauna habitat.

Breeding habitat: Reproductive features

Females produce one joey, which develops in the pouch. The species does not build a nest or use a known external maternity structure, but a female with a pouch young may be resting in the canopy during the day.

Breeding can occur throughout the year. A single young attaches to a teat in the pouch. The joey may begin emerging from the pouch at about 250 days of age.

Sexual maturity has been reported at about 2 years for females and 4.5 years for males. These animals have low reproductive output, so injury or loss of an adult can have a meaningful local effect.

  • One joey per litter.
  • Gestation is about 42 to 48 days.
  • The joey remains in the pouch for about 250 days before it starts to emerge.
  • No specific breeding month requires a general seasonal shutdown.

Breeding habitat: Breeding places and clearing controls

No nest, hollow, burrow, cave or colony is used as a known breeding place. The female's pouch is the immediate place where the young develops, while the mother rests and moves through the canopy.

In Queensland, near threatened animals are protected wildlife. Tampering with a breeding place requires a species management program. Confirm the approval pathway before disturbing a female with a pouch young or any location being treated as a breeding place.

  • Stop work if a female with a pouch young is found.
  • Keep the animal and its likely escape route under observation from a safe distance.
  • Use an approved fauna spotter catcher and obtain advice from the relevant Queensland authority.
  • Document the location, condition of the animal, photographs and management decision.

Sheltering habitat: Day shelter

Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo is nocturnal and usually shelters high in the canopy during the day. Its shelter is often a branch or dense foliage rather than a ground den.

During daylight, the species sleeps hunched over on a high branch. It may appear as a small brown lump among leaves and can remain still while machinery is nearby.

Look for sheltered branches in dense canopy, particularly where crowns connect and the animal can move away through adjacent trees.

  • High branches in mature rainforest.
  • Dense foliage that conceals a resting animal.
  • Connected crowns and trunks that provide escape routes.
  • Canopy above riparian vegetation and forest edges.

Sheltering habitat: Movement and refuge during works

The species can climb, jump and travel on the ground between forest patches. Clearing can force an animal towards roads, dogs or open construction areas.

Progressive clearing gives animals more opportunity to move into retained habitat. Do not chase an animal into dense vegetation or towards traffic.

  • Clear towards retained habitat where the site layout and safety controls allow.
  • Maintain a clear, safe escape direction identified by the spotter catcher.
  • Use a maximum 50 km per hour speed limit on access roads where this is part of the approved project controls, and consider lower speeds near known fauna movement routes.
  • Design stream crossings and roads to retain fauna movement where practicable.

Sheltering habitat: Handling and relocation

Do not handle, capture or relocate a tree-kangaroo unless the person is authorised and the action is covered by the relevant approval. Injured, orphaned or displaced animals require specialist wildlife care.

Keep people and vehicles back, reduce noise and lighting, and obtain advice before moving an animal or altering its refuge.

  • Keep dogs away from the animal.
  • Prevent crowding and photography at close range.
  • Contact the project fauna spotter catcher and the relevant wildlife authority.
  • Record any injury, road strike, dog attack or unusual behaviour for follow-up.

Threats: Habitat loss and fragmentation

The main works site risks are loss and fragmentation of rainforest, vehicle strikes, dog attacks and disturbance of canopy refuges. Near threatened status calls for avoidance and retention first, followed by careful clearing and monitoring.

Rainforest clearing has historically reduced lowland habitat, and the species is now more often associated with higher elevations. New clearing can remove feeding and shelter trees and break links between rainforest patches.

Retain the largest practical habitat areas and keep corridors connected. Reduce clearing widths and avoid placing roads through forest where an existing disturbed route can be used.

  • Avoid clearing core rainforest habitat where practicable.
  • Retain canopy links, riparian vegetation and forest edges in good condition.
  • Restore suitable riparian vegetation where required by the project.
  • Protect retained habitat from fire, weeds, sediment and accidental machinery entry.

Threats: Roads, vehicles and dogs

Animals moving between patches may be killed on roads or attacked by dogs. Construction traffic increases this risk, particularly near forest edges and movement corridors.

Apply project speed controls, train drivers to report sightings and keep domestic and camp dogs out of fauna habitat.

  • Use a maximum 50 km per hour access road speed where approved project controls require it.
  • Consider lower speeds and speed reduction measures near likely crossing points.
  • Use fauna warning signs where records or repeated sightings support them.
  • Inspect roads after reports of injured or dead fauna and record all incidents.

Threats: Clearing and construction disturbance

Tree felling can injure an animal resting in the canopy. Noise, artificial light, dust, sediment, altered drainage and uncontrolled access can also reduce the value of retained habitat.

Use a fauna spotter catcher, progressive clearing and preclearing inspections. Stop work when fauna are found and apply the approved response before continuing.

  • Inspect disturbance areas for resting fauna before clearing.
  • Clear woody vegetation progressively.
  • Minimise night lighting directed towards retained forest.
  • Prevent sediment, contaminants and spoil from entering rainforest or waterways.

Threats: Disease, climate and unusual health events

Disease and climate related stress have been raised as concerns for the species. Reports of blindness have been investigated, but the extent and cause remain uncertain.

Treat unusual behaviour, blindness, repeated deaths or signs of disease as a reportable fauna matter for the project. Do not handle sick animals without specialist advice.

  • Use clean equipment between work areas where feasible.
  • Do not move animals, carcasses or vegetation between sites without approval.
  • Record location, date, weather, symptoms and photographs where safe.
  • Seek veterinary or wildlife authority advice for sick, injured or dead animals.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo is a nocturnal, canopy dwelling species of Wet Tropics rainforest. Surveys should focus on connected upland rainforest, canopy resting sites and links between forest patches. The species can be difficult to detect, so use more than one method and record the limits of detection.

Map remnant and regrowth rainforest, especially upland rainforest and suitable vine forest. Include non-remnant forest where it connects larger habitat patches.

Identify canopy corridors, narrow road crossings, creek lines, retained environmental areas and places where clearing could isolate rainforest patches.

Check Queensland Wildlife Online or WildNet records, local wildlife group records, roadkill reports and records of injured or blind tree-kangaroos. Confirm whether the project could affect protected wildlife or a breeding place.

  • Treat habitat as potentially occupied where suitable canopy and connected rainforest are present, even if database records are absent.
  • Use the most current range information for the project locality. The known Queensland range includes the Wet Tropics between the southern Wet Tropics and the Daintree area.

Survey methodology: 2. Ground and canopy searches

Search suitable habitat during the day for a small brown animal hunched on a high branch. Search again from dusk into the night when animals become active.

Use experienced observers to inspect the canopy, tree trunks, branch junctions and likely travel routes. Search carefully after a crash of leaves or branches, or where a long furry tail disappears into vegetation.

Use hand-held spotlights from existing tracks and safe vantage points. Use thermal or infrared equipment where available, but do not shine lights directly at an animal for long periods.

Use motion cameras on likely crossing points, rainforest edges and canopy access points where safe. Camera placement should not require clearing or climbing trees.

  • Do not rely on ground spotlighting alone. The species spends most of its time above ground and may remain still in the canopy.
  • Avoid climbing trees or entering unstable terrain to improve detection.

Survey methodology: 3. Timing, effort and records

Survey in suitable weather, with little wind and rain where possible. Avoid conditions that make canopy observation unsafe or reduce visibility.

Repeat searches across more than one visit where habitat is suitable. Consider both early wet season and early dry season conditions, as these were used for baseline fauna surveys in the region. There is no established seasonal migration period to target.

Record date, start and finish time, weather, observers, method, route, area searched, visibility, equipment and any constraints on detection.

For every observation, record the location, height, behaviour, direction of travel, habitat, group size, photographs and whether a pouch young is present. Record carcasses, roadkill, dog attack evidence, injured animals and signs of disease separately.

  • Map all observations and potential crossing points.
  • Report uncertain records with photographs or other supporting evidence for expert review.
  • Record absences only with the method and effort used. Do not treat a non detection as proof that habitat is unoccupied.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and permits

Plan works to retain connected rainforest and avoid canopy gaps wherever possible. Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo has no known nest or hollow requirement, but females carry a single young in the pouch and breeding can occur throughout the year, so pre-clearance checks are needed at all times.

Confirm the Queensland near threatened status before works begin. In Queensland, the species is protected wildlife and tampering with its breeding place requires a species management program.

Obtain or confirm the relevant Queensland approvals, permits and species management program before clearing or construction. Make sure the program covers the proposed impact, fauna handling, release arrangements and reporting.

Check whether the project may affect a matter of national environmental significance. Seek an EPBC Act referral or referral advice where the legal tests indicate that one is required.

Confirm that the fauna spotter catcher is appropriately authorised for the proposed work and handling activities.

  • Do not start clearing while an approval, permit or species management program required for the work is still unresolved.
  • Keep approval conditions, maps and contact details on site.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and site design

Retain mature and regrowth rainforest, canopy links, creek crossings and forest edges that connect larger habitat patches.

Minimise clearing widths and place roads, laydown areas and utilities in already disturbed areas where practicable.

Design bridges and crossings to retain fauna movement and minimise ground disturbance. Use a site speed limit and additional traffic controls where roads cross rainforest or connect habitat patches.

Protect retained habitat from machinery encroachment, sediment, fire, weeds, artificial lighting, noise and domestic dogs.

  • Mark no go areas and retained corridors before mobilisation.
  • Use physical fencing where survey findings or approval conditions require a clear exclusion boundary.
  • Do not set a generic buffer around a tree-kangaroo without confirming the applicable approval condition or management program. Set the exclusion area to protect the animal, its escape route and the retained canopy.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre clearance survey and induction

Complete a pre clearance inspection shortly before each clearing stage. Inspect canopy, trunks, branch junctions, ground cover and access routes for animals, pouch young, carcasses and signs of disturbance.

Use a fauna spotter catcher during the inspection and throughout clearing. Stop and reassess if visibility is poor or the inspection cannot be completed safely.

Induct all workers on the species appearance, nocturnal habits, likely canopy locations, road risks, dog exclusion, speed limits and the stop work process.

Give crews a simple instruction: stop machinery, keep people back and contact the spotter catcher if any tree-kangaroo is seen or an animal falls during clearing.

  • Schedule the inspection close enough to clearing that animals cannot readily return before works start.
  • Do not clear after dark unless the approved method specifically allows it and the fauna team can safely manage detection and handling.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Clear progressively and give animals time to move into retained habitat. The fauna spotter catcher must have clear authority to stop work and must remain able to see the active clearing area.

Clear in small, manageable stages towards retained rainforest and away from isolated vegetation where practicable. Keep escape routes open and free of machinery.

Remove ground vegetation and low risk areas progressively before felling larger trees. Avoid creating a sudden isolated canopy gap where an animal could be stranded.

Use the fauna spotter catcher to inspect each work area immediately before machinery enters and during tree felling.

Stop work if an animal is detected, visibility is lost, a tree falls unexpectedly or a new risk to fauna develops.

  • Do not chase an animal through the canopy or force it towards roads, dogs or workers.
  • Keep vehicles and workers out of the likely travel path until the animal has moved to safe retained habitat.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Animal handling and breeding places

Only authorised and suitably trained people may capture, handle, restrain or release the animal. Keep observers, machinery and dogs away.

If an animal is found, allow it to move away naturally where safe. Do not attempt to catch a healthy animal simply because it is visible.

If a pouch young, dependent young, injured animal or possible active breeding place is found, stop work in the immediate area and contact the fauna spotter catcher and the project environmental manager.

Treat the female's pouch as the breeding site for this species. Do not separate a young animal from its mother unless directed by an experienced wildlife veterinarian or an approved wildlife carer.

  • Do not use nest boxes, bat boxes or artificial nests as a substitute for natural habitat for this species.
  • Follow the approved species management program and permit conditions for any capture, temporary holding, transport or release.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Injured, diseased or dead animals

Stop nearby work and protect the animal from traffic, dogs, heat and additional disturbance. Keep the area quiet and shaded where safe.

Contact the fauna spotter catcher, wildlife veterinarian, approved wildlife carer or relevant Queensland wildlife authority. Do not provide food, water or medication unless directed.

Treat animals showing blindness, confusion or unusual behaviour as potentially ill. Avoid direct contact and use appropriate hygiene and biosecurity measures.

For a dead animal, prevent further damage, photograph it where appropriate and arrange collection or reporting through the approved wildlife pathway.

  • Do not move an injured animal in a private vehicle unless this is authorised and directed by the responsible wildlife professional.
  • Record any suspected disease event separately from a routine fauna relocation.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Records and stop work events

Record the date, time, location, habitat, animal condition, handling details, direction of movement, release location, people involved and approval reference for every interaction.

Record the clearing stage, machinery involved, cause of the event, time work stopped and time work resumed.

Photograph the animal, habitat and any injury only where this can be done without causing additional stress.

Notify the project manager and environmental representative before restarting work. Escalate reportable events under the approval, permit or species management program.

  • Keep a daily fauna register on site.
  • Map all release points, crossings, roadkill locations and areas where work was stopped.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post clearance checks

Post clearance checks confirm that animals have not been trapped or left behind and that controls worked as intended. Use the results to adjust later clearing stages, traffic controls and habitat protection.

Inspect the cleared area, retained edges, access tracks, drainage lines and exclusion fencing after each clearing stage and again before the next stage begins.

Look for stranded animals, carcasses, fresh tracks, fallen animals, damaged canopy links and gaps that could funnel animals onto roads.

Check that no machinery, spoil, fencing or temporary works block movement between retained rainforest patches.

Remove or modify hazards identified during the inspection, subject to approval conditions and safety requirements.

  • Use the same map and fauna register throughout the project so records can be compared between stages.
  • Continue checks after major storms, fires, floods or changes to traffic routes.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Relocated and released animals

Confirm that every handled animal has an approved release or care outcome recorded. Record the release habitat, time, condition, sex if known and whether a pouch young was present.

Release animals only at a suitable, connected location approved by the responsible fauna professional. Avoid releasing an animal across a road, into an isolated patch or into an area with active construction.

Where monitoring is required, use photographs, repeat observations or cameras to check that the animal remains active and can move through retained habitat.

Report mortality, repeat sightings near the work area, roadkill and dog attacks to the project environmental manager and relevant authority.

  • Do not relocate animals farther than the approved release arrangement allows.
  • Do not assume that a released animal has survived without a follow up check where monitoring is required.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring and incident review

Review all sightings, non detections, handling events, injuries, roadkill, dog attacks and disease concerns at the end of each clearing stage.

Compare records with the original habitat map and identify whether canopy links, crossing points or retained areas need extra protection.

Update the clearing method, induction, speed controls, lighting and spotter catcher coverage before the next stage.

Complete approval and permit reports within the required timeframe, including maps, photographs, effort, outcomes and any corrective actions.

  • Hold a short incident review after every fauna injury, death, breeding place event or unexpected animal movement.
  • Keep a final fauna and compliance record with the project handover documents.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore canopy and movement links

Rehabilitation should restore connected rainforest canopy and reduce the risks that drive animals onto roads or into developed areas. Natural habitat restoration is more suitable for Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo than artificial nesting or roosting structures.

Replant cleared edges, creek lines and gaps with locally appropriate Wet Tropics rainforest species. Aim for a diverse, structurally stable canopy rather than a narrow line of fast growing plants.

Prioritise links between retained rainforest patches and routes that allow animals to move without crossing roads or open ground.

Protect plantings from browsing, fire, machinery, flooding and weed competition until they are established.

Replace compacted soil, stabilise erosion and restore natural drainage where construction has altered surface flows.

  • Use local provenance plants where available and suitable.
  • Do not open new tracks through retained or rehabilitated rainforest for maintenance unless necessary and approved.
  • Maintain the proposed environmental area or equivalent retained habitat as a protected wildlife corridor.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Weeds, fire, water and biosecurity

Control weeds before they dominate the canopy, edges or creek lines. Use methods that minimise harm to native fauna and avoid secondary poisoning.

Keep chemicals, sediment and contaminated water out of rainforest drainage lines. Inspect erosion and sediment controls after rain.

Use a fire regime that protects rainforest edges and retained canopy. Prevent hot or uncontrolled burns from entering habitat.

Clean machinery before entering rehabilitation areas and manage soil, plant material and equipment to reduce weed and pathogen spread.

  • Keep domestic dogs out of rehabilitation and retained habitat.
  • Use fauna safe fencing and inspect it regularly for trapped animals.
  • Manage artificial lighting so that retained corridors and canopy edges remain as dark as practicable.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Artificial structures and habitat features

Do not install nest boxes, bat boxes, artificial nests or roost structures as routine mitigation. Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo rests on branches and carries its young in a pouch, rather than using a nest, hollow or maternity roost.

If an unusual site condition requires an artificial structure, obtain advice from a qualified tree-kangaroo ecologist and the relevant Queensland authority before installation. Treat it as an experimental measure, not a replacement for rainforest canopy.

Retain standing trees, large branches, canopy bridges and safe climbing routes where these can be kept without creating a safety risk.

  • Prioritise natural canopy restoration over artificial shelter.
  • Inspect any approved experimental structure for hazards, interference with movement and unintended use by pests.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Long term monitoring

Monitor rehabilitated corridors and retained rainforest using repeat canopy searches, dusk and night spotlighting, motion cameras and roadkill checks where safe.

Record tree-kangaroo observations, crossing points, group size, behaviour, habitat condition, weeds, dog activity, vehicle strikes and any signs of disease.

Continue monitoring for long enough to show whether the canopy link is functioning and whether animals are using the restored habitat. Set the duration and frequency in the approval or rehabilitation plan rather than assuming a standard period.

Use results to repair gaps, improve crossings, reduce lighting, control weeds and change traffic controls.

  • Report monitoring results to the project manager and relevant authorities where required.
  • Keep a map of restored areas and all confirmed use by Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo.

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