These wallabies were labelled as "Thylogate bruijni" ([i]sic[/i]) and as far as I can tell they are indeed dusky pademelons [i]Thylogale brunii[/i], which come from New Guinea. This species was the first macropod to be given a scientific name (in 1778, originally as [i]Didelphys brunii[/i] because at the time the few known marsupials were all in that genus), and was just the second Australasian marsupial to be scientifically-christened (the first being the northern common cuscus [i]Phalanger orientalis[/i], originally [i]Didelphys orientalis[/i], in 1766). The scientific description of the dusky pademelon in 1778 was based on a 1711 report and illustration by de Bruin who saw what he called "Aru rabbits" in a menagerie on Java (presumably having arrived there via the Aru Islands off the west coast of New Guinea), so it somewhat fitting I suppose that the first time I saw this species was in a menagerie on the neighbouring island of Sumatra
The above historical information was obtained from Tim Flannery's "Mammals Of New Guinea"
These particular individuals were inside their shelter out of the sun, hence the darkness of the photo. The pen they were housed in was reasonably-sized and grassed.
October 2009
review here:
http://www.zoochat.com/238/bukittinggi-zoo-west-sumatra-112059/
