Heritage Expeditions played a key role in supporting Professor Tim Flannery’s rediscovery of a marsupial previously thought to be extinct for 6,000 years, according to a company press release.

Flannery, a mammalogist, conservationist and regular guest lecturer with Heritage Expeditions, rediscovered the Ring-tailed Glider, known as Tous ayamaruensis, after more than a decade of research.

The discovery was made possible through evidence gathered across multiple Heritage Expeditions voyages to Indonesia’s Misool Island aboard the Indonesian Explorer, including visits with elders at Tomolol Village and guest lecturing at the University of Papua’s Manokwari Campus.

“Heritage Expeditions played a crucial role in our project,” said Flannery. “I was able to scout the coast along the PNG-Indonesian border, where fossils of Tous were found, and plan fieldwork there.

Given the remoteness of these regions, the cost involved in getting to them and the other difficulties involved, I simply could not have undertaken this project without Heritage Expeditions.”

The Ring-tailed Glider is the nearest living relative of the Australian Greater Glider and the first new genus of New Guinean marsupial described since 1937.

Aaron Russ, commercial director at Heritage Expeditions, served as expedition leader on all of Flannery’s voyages.

“Tim really is one of the world’s true explorers and it’s a real privilege to support and share these voyages of discovery with him and our guests,” said Russ.

“This incredible rediscovery follows Tim and our guests discovering 11 new mammal species when we first visited Kofiau Island and my father Rodney’s work which included rediscovering the previously thought extinct Campbell Island Teal more than 50 years ago.”