TREE KANGAROOS IN THE JARRABINNA FOREST
Cooktown is 30 mins from the Wet Tropics Rainforest of Rossville and the Bloomfield Valley which is home to the elusive Bennett’s Tree Kangaroo.
Juvenile Bennetts tree kangaroo
Known by the local indigenous Kuku Nyungkal people as the Jarrabinna, the tree kangaroo can be found in pockets of this magnificent rainforest.
Mainly nocturnal, the Tree Kangaroo is regarded as the closest mammal we have to a monkey because of its tree climbing habitat. Dark brown in colour and with a very long tail, the males can reach 14 kg in weight and the females up to 11kg. They are particularly fond of the Indian Rubber tree and other figs available in the Rainforest area. They have very long tails for balance, and strong forelimbs for climbing. Their feet are shorter and wider than their land cousins, they also have longer claws on all their feet, and rubbery soles for better a grip.
Come and explore this incredible landscape and the rare animals that inhabit it.
For more information, story ideas or assistance in organising a feature on anything relating to Cooktown and the environs, please contact Vanessa Gillen, PR Consultant to Cook Shire Council, on 0412 318690 or vanessagillenpr@gmail.com
