A "Lost World" Found in Indonesia

An expedition to one of Asia's most isolated jungles in the mist-shrouded Foja Mountains of western New Guinea discovered a virtual "Lost World" of new species, giant flowers, and rare wildlife that was unafraid of humans.

The December 2005 trip by a team of U.S., Indonesian, and Australian scientists led by Conservation International (CI) found dozens of new species including frogs, butterflies, plants, and an orange-faced honeyeater, the first new bird from the island of New Guinea in more than 60 years.

"It's as close to the Garden of Eden as you're going to find on Earth," said Bruce Beehler, vice president of CI's Melanesia Center for Biodiversity Conservation and a co-leader of the expedition. "The first bird we saw at our camp was a new species. Large mammals that have been hunted to near extinction elsewhere were here in abundance. We were able to simply pick up two Long-Beaked Echidnas, a primitive egg-laying mammal that is little known."

The expedition found a new large mammal for Indonesia the Golden-mantled Tree Kangaroo, formerly known from only a single mountain in neighboring Papua New Guinea. Other discoveries included what may be the largest rhododendron flower on record almost six inches across along with more than 20 new frogs and four new butterflies. The new species of honeyeater, the first new bird discovered on the island of New Guinea since 1939, has a bright orange face-patch with a pendant wattle under each eye.

Take a look at the photos of these new species. And here's the wholy story how the lost birds of paradise were found.

It's simply amazing how there is still this kind of places in our planet.