• This bird hadn't been seen by researchers in over 140 years. They finally spotted it.
• This bird hadn't been documented since 1882. Then scientists captured video of it in Papua New Guinea
• Black-naped pheasant-pigeon sighted in Papua New Guinea for first time in 140 years

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This bird hadn't been seen by researchers in over 140 years. They finally spotted it.
21 November 2022 - With black and orange feathers and red eyes, the critically endangered black-naped pheasant-pigeon remained a mystery for over a century after it was first -- and last -- observed by researchers in 1882. But 140 years later, the bird has been spotted for the second time ever. The bird exists in the rugged, just over 500-square-mile Fergusson Island, just off the coast of southeast Papua New Guinea. (more)

This bird hadn't been documented since 1882. Then scientists captured video of it in Papua New Guinea
19 November 2022 - A bird thought to be extinct for 140 years has been rediscovered in the forests of Papua New Guinea. The black-naped pheasant-pigeon was documented by scientists for the first and last time in 1882, according to a news release from nonprofit Re:wild, which helped fund the search effort. (more)

Black-naped pheasant-pigeon sighted in Papua New Guinea for first time in 140 years
18 November 2022 - Some 140 years after the black-naped pheasant-pigeon was last sighted by scientists, researchers have 'rediscovered' the rare bird. After a month of searching, a team in September captured footage of the species deep in the forest of a tiny island off Papua New Guinea. ... Researchers hope the discovery will help save the species from extinction. (more)

Indonesian court delivers victory for Indigenous rights in Papua
13 December 2021 - An Indonesian court has delivered a landmark victory for Indigenous rights in a case that pitted West Papuan activists against several palm oil companies. The land involved in the dispute belongs to the Moi people, one of more than 250 ethnic groups in Papua. Following the ruling, Moi advocates and the head of the regional people's representative council in Sorong celebrated in front of the local district office. Wirya Supriyadi, advocacy coordinator of the Papua office of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI), described the ruling as ''a positive breakthrough'' and a ''victory'' for the Moi peoples. (more)

New Guinea has greatest plant diversity of any island in the world, study reveals
5 August 2020 - ies showing 'no sign of levelNew Guinea is home to more than 13,500 species of plant, two-thirds of which are endemic, according to a new study that suggests it has the greatest plant diversity of any island in the world -- 19 percent more than Madagascar, which previously held the record. Large swathes of the island remain unexplored and some historical collections have yet to be looked at. Researchers estimate that 4,000 more plant species could be found in the next 50 years, with discoveries showing 'no sign of levelling off', according to the paper published in Nature. (more)

Papua New Guinea's Meri Seif bus program provides safe transport to women and girls
17 January 2020 - The pink and purple buses carrying women through the streets of Papua New Guinea's two major cities are as bold in purpose as they are in color. The buses launched in the capital city of Port Moresby in 2014 and expanded to Lae, the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea (PNG), in 2019. The two bus programs have ensured that some 170,000 women and girls annually ride safely to and from work and school each day. (more)

Conservation giant backs Papua New Guinea's 'visionary' sustainable development strategy
1 August 2014 - The world's largest conservation organization has described Papua New Guinea's strategy for sustainable development as 'visionary'. PNG's National Strategy for Responsible Development, launched in April by Planning Minister Charles Abel, aims to re-orient the country's entire economic and development efforts, including mining and logging, around an overriding goal of sustainable development. (more)

Papua New Guinea: Thousands greet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
11 July 2014 - Thousands of people greeted Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his party as they flew in to the provincial capital Wewak before travelling to a peace memorial and the Brandi battlefield as part of his two-day state visit to Papua New Guinea. Reports stated that 3,000 school children lined the streets in their uniforms to welcome Mr Abe and his large entourage. It is the first time in 29 years that a Japanese prime minister has travelled to PNG and Mr Abe was joined by a 150-strong business delegation. (more)

Papua New Guinea: 'New mammal species' found in PNG by Australian scientists on crowd-funded expedition
25 June 2014 - One of Australia's first crowd-funded scientific expeditions may have uncovered several new species of mammal in Papua New Guinea. Euan Ritchie, an ecologist from Melbourne's Deakin University, raised $20,000 to document rare animals in the Torricelli mountain range in the remote north-west of PNG. The money bought 40 camera traps and it was hoped these devices might capture the first images of critically endangered tree kangaroos in the wild. But they have also snapped up to three new species of previously unidentified mammals. (more)

Papua New Guinea pledges $20m to assist with Fiji elections
4 March 2014 - Papua New Guinea says it will provide a multi-million dollar grant to help Fiji hold democratic elections later this year. PNG's officials have visited Fiji to discuss how a $20 million grant, announced by Prime Minister Peter O'Neill last year, will be used. The two countries are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding setting out the details of PNG's electoral support programme. (more)