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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteAttenborough’s long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi) was photographed and filmed in Indonesia’s Cyclops Mountains in 2023. The camera-trap evidence was the first photographic evidence of the species since its only prior scientific record, a specimen collected in 1961. The discovery establishes that the echidna survives; it does not establish its population size or mean that it is safe from extinction.
The 62-year gap was in scientific records, not necessarily in sightings or local knowledge. Indigenous and local knowledge helped guide the search, so the story is best understood as a partnership rather than a discovery made by cameras alone.
What is Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna?
Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna is one of five living monotreme species—egg-laying mammals. The other living monotremes are the platypus and three other echidna species, according to the University of Oxford.
It belongs to the genus Zaglossus. Oxford describes the animal as having hedgehog-like spines, an anteater-like snout, and mole-like feet. It is nocturnal and difficult to find.
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The species was named after naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough. Its only prior scientific record was a specimen collected in 1961 in the Cyclops Mountains.
Where was the echidna found?
The echidna was documented in the Cyclops Mountains of Papua Province, Indonesia. The consulted institutional accounts identify the Cyclops as the only place where the species has been recorded.
The 2023 expedition involved Indonesian and international researchers and community members. The University of Oxford describes the work as a partnership that included YAPPENDA, Cenderawasih University, Papua BBKSDA, BRIN, Oxford, and Re:wild.
Why is this called a 62-year rediscovery?
The species’ previous scientific record was a single specimen collected in 1961. The 2023 camera-trap images and video provided the first photographic evidence since then. The 2025 peer-reviewed study describes the species as having gone 62 years without scientific records.
This does not mean that no one saw the animal during that period. Indigenous and local knowledge informed the search, and the 2025 study describes knowledge surveys as guiding where researchers deployed camera traps.
The precise description is that the echidna was documented by science after 62 years without records. It was not known to be extinct and then brought back; the evidence confirms survival, not recovery.
How researchers located it
Researchers used Indigenous and local knowledge surveys to help guide camera-trap deployments in 2022 and 2023, according to the 2025 peer-reviewed study. Community members from Yongsu Sapari were part of the expedition partnership.
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The University of Oxford reports that the expedition spent four weeks in the forest and deployed more than 80 remote trail cameras. The echidna images were found on the final memory card retrieved on the expedition’s last day. Oxford also reports that the team made multiple ascents totaling more than 11,000 metres of climbing.
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Professor Kristofer Helgen, a mammalogist and director of the Australian Museum Research Institute, later confirmed the identification, according to Oxford.
How camera traps help wildlife research
A motion-triggered wildlife trail camera can document animals that are nocturnal, shy, or difficult to observe directly. In this expedition, cameras provided photographic evidence; they did not by themselves establish how many echidnas live in the mountains. Wildlife observation should follow local laws and ethical practices. Never bait, corner, handle, or attempt to capture wild animals to obtain a photograph.
How do scientists know it was Attenborough’s echidna?
The University of Oxford reports that mammalogist Professor Kristofer Helgen confirmed the identification. The camera-trap evidence is treated by the researchers as documentation of Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna in the Cyclops Mountains.
The images establish that the species survives, but they do not provide a population estimate. The evidence should not be stretched to answer questions about how many animals remain or how widely they are distributed.
Do the photographs show more than one animal?
The available sources establish photographic evidence of the species but do not provide a reliable count of individual echidnas. The photographs should not be treated as a population estimate.
Knowing whether the population is small or larger, and whether it is reproducing successfully over time, will require further monitoring.
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Rediscovery does not mean the species is safe
Zaglossus attenboroughi is listed as Critically Endangered in the sources consulted, including the University of Oxford and Re:wild. The 2023 photographs did not change that status or demonstrate that the species has recovered.
The discovery answers one major question—whether the species survives—but leaves important questions open:
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- How many individuals remain?
- How widely are they distributed through the Cyclops Mountains?
- Are they reproducing successfully over the long term?
- What monitoring and conservation actions are needed?
The available sources do not establish a population number or identify the species’ principal current threats. Those details should not be presented as settled facts without further evidence.
The Cyclops Mountains are the only location where the species has been recorded, according to the consulted institutional accounts. Further surveys and long-term monitoring are needed to understand its distribution and conservation needs.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why Indigenous knowledge mattered
Community members in Yongsu Sapari were partners in the expedition. The 2025 research describes Indigenous and local knowledge surveys as guiding camera-trap deployment, while the University of Oxford emphasizes the importance of the relationship between the team and the community.
As expedition lead Dr James Kempton told the University of Oxford: “The trust between us was the bedrock of our success because they shared with us the knowledge to navigate these treacherous mountains, and even allowed us to research on lands that have never before felt the tread of human feet.”
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This is why the discovery should not be framed simply as a triumph of remote-sensing technology. Local knowledge and partnership were central to the search and should remain central to conservation planning.
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What happens next?
Researchers and expedition partners have committed to long-term monitoring, according to the University of Oxford. Further work is needed to understand the echidna’s population, distribution, and conservation needs.
Conservation planning should continue in partnership with the communities and organizations involved in the work. A photograph documents survival; it does not by itself secure habitat or show whether a population is large enough to withstand future pressures.
For now, the rediscovery provides a rare and valuable result: an animal with no scientific record since 1961 has been documented in the Cyclops Mountains. It is a reason for continued monitoring and conservation—not evidence that the danger has passed.
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Is Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna extinct?
No. Camera traps documented the species in Indonesia’s Cyclops Mountains in 2023. It is listed as Critically Endangered, and the sources consulted do not establish its population size.
Why is the echidna called a monotreme?
Monotremes are mammals that lay eggs. The University of Oxford says five monotreme species remain: the platypus and four echidnas, including Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna.
Was the echidna truly unseen for 62 years?
The gap was 62 years without scientific records, from the 1961 specimen to the 2023 camera-trap evidence. Indigenous and local knowledge informed the search, so “without sightings” would be too broad.
Is Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna still endangered?
Yes. The sources consulted list it as Critically Endangered. Its rediscovery documents survival but does not show that its status has changed or that it is safe.
Can I keep an Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna as a pet?
No. It is a Critically Endangered wild species from Indonesian Papua, not a domesticated animal. It should not be captured, handled, bought, or kept as a pet.
The Bottom Line
Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna was documented in the Cyclops Mountains in 2023 after 62 years without scientific records. The camera-trap evidence confirms survival, but population size and distribution remain unknown. Continued monitoring and conservation partnerships are essential.
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