Kangpho and Drawa, the Mascots of PON XX which are endemic to Papua

Papua Province will host the XX National Sports Week [PON]. The biggest sporting event in Indonesia, which is held every four years, is planned to be held in October 2021.

As the host, Papua has prepared a mascot in the form of a doll which will later be given to athletes who get medals. The mascot of PON XX Papua is in the form of endemic animals named "Kangpho" and "Drawa".

Who are they?

Kangpho is an acronym for the golden mantle tree kangaroo [Dendrolagus pulcherrimus], an endemic to Papua. So far, calling kangaroos will be identified as animals from Australia. However, the tree kangaroo is a typical Papuan animal and will almost certainly be found in its forest areas.

The golden coat tree kangaroo is a marsupial or mammal that has a pouch on its stomach. Eat these fruits and seeds. His body is a distinctive light brown color and fine hair all over his body. It also has a long tail with a ring-like pattern in a lighter color. The neck, cheeks and legs are decorated with golden yellow. This is why, his nickname is the golden mantle.

This species was discovered in 1990 by Pavel German on Mount Sapapu, Torricelli Mountains, Papua New Guinea, at an altitude of 680 – 1,700 meters above sea level. Another population is found in remote areas in the Foja Mountains, Papua, Indonesia. Body length ranges from 41-77 cm, with a tail length of 40-80 cm, and weighs 7-15 kilograms. He mostly does activities in the trees, occasionally going down to the ground looking for water sources to drink.

In the book Ecology Papua [2012], it is stated that the tree kangaroo [Dendrolagus] consists of six species in Papua. These species are endemic to the Bird's Head area [D. ursinus], one species widely distributed in the northern lowlands and the Bird's Head region [D. inustus], one species known only through observations from the remote Northern Foja Mountains [D. pulcherrimus], a species from the north coast of the Wandammen Mountains [D. mayri], and two types [D. stellarum and D. mbaiso] from the wider Sudirman Mountain range in the western part of the central mountain range.

“Most types of tree kangaroos are arboreal forest dwellers. However, the Dendrolagus mbaiso species is found as a tree kangaroo that undergoes secondary development adaptations to live on land, and is found in upper mountain forests and subalpine grasslands, "said the researcher in the book Ecology Papua.

Johan F. Koibur, from the University of Papua [Unipa] in his writing in the Journal of Animal Husbandry [2018], explained that tree kangaroos like to spend time on the ground and like to take shelter under thick trees. This animal has long legs and has a long middle finger on each hind limb, so it is able to "walk" on tree branches and move on all four legs when walking on the ground. But if in a hurry, these animals return to the way of jumping like other relatives.

“The average life span of a kangaroo ranges from 12 to 18 years. For tree kangaroo body length between 500-800 mm, not including the tail. For the adult type, it can weigh about 6-18 kg,” wrote Koibur.

He explained, tree kangaroos reproduce throughout the year. For female tree kangaroos experience sexual maturity after reaching a body weight of 8.5-10 kg while males are 12 kg. The female tree kangaroo has a pouch with a hole that leads to the front where the nipple and mammary glands are.

While the other mascot is Drawa, an acronym for Cendrawasih [Paradisaeidae]. This is a bird typical of the land of Papua. In Papua itself, the bird of paradise is considered a bird of paradise and is very sacred. However, it is often seen that the attributes of the Cendrawasih crown are traded, or used for ceremonial occasions.

The Governor of Papua, Lukas Enembe, on June 5 2017, issued a circular regarding the ban on the use of native birds of paradise as accessories and souvenirs. This was done in order to protect and prevent the threat of extinction of the bird of paradise. The use of native birds of paradise is only allowed in the procession of traditional activities in Papua which are sacred.

 There are many types of paradise, both endemic to Papua and not. It is recorded that 39 species of birds of paradise are scattered in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Papua, and Maluku.

Since ancient times, the Cendrawasih in Papua has been a special concern of researchers. In the book Ecology Papua [2012], it is stated that traditional communities in Papua New Guinea have used birds as food, clothing decoration, traditional ceremonies, totems or tribal symbols and as wealth to be traded on this island and abroad. In fact, birds and feathers of paradise have been traded to Asia since 5,000 years ago.

SOURCE: https://www.mongabay.co.id/2021/06/28/kangpho-dan-drawa-maskot-pon-xx-yang-endemic-papua/