So I’ve been following the discoveries coming out of New Guinea’s so-called “Lost World,” a patch of mountainous jungle in the Mamberamo Basin. It was only explored for the first time in 2005, when dozens of new plants and species were discovered. This time around, the research expedition–organized by Conservation International–found an almost 3 pound Mallomys giant rat five times the size of a regular rat. They’ve also found a pygmy possum, one of the smallest marsupials to date.
How’s this for an adventure story? Here’s how they found the rat, “With no fear of humans, it apparently came into the camp several times during the trip,” said one scientist with the Smithsonian. Apparently it also didn’t make that much of a ruckus when held (see picture). This region is definitely on the very top of my to-visit places. Here’s a salivating slideshow.