Dingo & Dingiso, Papuan Animal Rarely People Look
Cendrawasih bird is a typical bird of Papua. But there are also dingo and dingiso, animals that are hard to see for living near the highest peak of Indonesia!
Nature Papua is still a mystery. Flora and fauna there have not been found much less studied. Like the following two animals that may be just the first time you hear: dingo and dingiso.
"The two animals are located near the highest peak of Indonesia, Carstensz Peak in Papua, not many people see it," said Maximus Tipagau, one of the youth leaders of the Moni tribe in Ugimba Village, Intan Jaya Regency
Dingiso
We start from dingiso, the scientific name is Dendrolagus mbaiso. This animal is an endemic animal similar to a tree kangaroo. The shape, much like the koalas in Australia is only black. The size is larger, and have a white line on the body.
Dingiso is a herbivorous animal whose food leaves and fruits. Dingiso Habitat is in the vicinity of the Central Highlands near Carstensz Peak. Precisely at about 4,000 meters above sea level and never get down from there!
"They only exist in the forests around Carstensz Peak, it is very difficult to find animals because on the trees, for us Moni tribe, we believe they are our ancestors," explained Maximus who is also the owner of the tour operator Adventure Carstensz.
Dingo
Next is dingo (Canis lupus), which also lives at the same height as dingiso. Dingo is a wild dog that lives in Australia and Southeast Asia. This animal resembles an ordinary dog and wolf, because if in biology, dingo comes from the Canidae family.
For the people of Moni Tribe, they call it by the name of Sege Home which means day and night guard. The guard in question, meaning this dog is believed to guard the Peak Carstensz is being saved by several tribes in Papua.
"This dog believes in disbelief is very difficult to find.The dog can only be seen by people who have wilayat rights (customary land rights), such as from Tipagau and Kobogau descendants.No one can see, if one can see it he is very lucky," explains Maximus.
Maximus himself confirmed that he had met the dingo while at Basecamp Lakes, the final camping point before climbing Carstensz Peak at an altitude of 4300s mdpl. Since Maximus himself is of Tipagau descent, this dog is very tame to him.
Because of its habitat which is located at an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level, dingo and dingiso rarely meet humans. But unfortunately, according to Maximus there are no lignkungan institutions or from the government who examine about this animal.
"Yes, unfortunately, nobody has been researching this animal, but dingo and dingiso are very unique, so we ask the government in this case, especially Kemenhut and Lorentz National Park to do research, to find out how many and can be preserved. extinct, dingo and dingiso are also 'treasures' from Papua, "concluded Maximus.