The Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program works with local communities in rural Papua New Guinea to protect the endangered Matschie’s tree kangaroo and the habitat in which it lives. The program helped to establish the country’s first nationally-recognized Conservation Area, and works with communities and government to address local needs including livelihoods, health, and education. We believe that sustainable conservation needs to address not only the needs of wildlife and the environment, but the needs of the local people as well. And that in order to make a lasting difference, the change must come from within those communities themselves.

The Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program and the YUS Conservation Area serve as a national model for community-based conservation in Papua New Guinea, assisting the government in their efforts to protect the incredible diversity of wildlife and culture throughout the country.

The Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program (TKCP) is the umbrella name for the partnership between the Woodland Park Zoo’s TKCP and TKCP-PNG, an independent non-governmental organization registered in Papua New Guinea.