The animal was recorded on camera

Cyclops mountains were called “green hell” by locals. There are significant altitude differences, very dense and almost impenetrable forests, many exotic and very dangerous animals. Members of the expedition constantly suffered from bites, falls and fractures, and once they had to spend two days taking one of the scientists to the hospital, whose eye was bitten by a local leech. However, the efforts are not in vain because science has now reached the only evidence of the existence of these animals outside Australia.

The advantage of this corner of the planet is that anthropogenic influence does not manifest itself here. The scientists set up 80 camera traps that reacted to motion and were able to capture dozens of new species of insects, land shrimp and several animals. And before we reached the end of the expedition, an echidna wandered into the camera lens.

For understanding, even local residents consider the echidna to be a rare resident of this area. The Ensu Sapari people have an interesting tradition of resolving the most difficult disputes. One group is sent to the sea to catch marlin, and the other is sent to the forest to catch echidna. The first to return with the loot is the right one, but this is extremely difficult to do due to the rarity of both of these creatures.

The scientists didn’t even try to capture the echidna; Video footage is already an incredible opportunity.

Echidna caught the camera lens: video

Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna has the spine of a hedgehog, the face of an anteater and the legs of a mole. Because of its hybrid appearance, it shares its name with a half-human, half-snake creature from Greek mythology.
– says the head of the expedition and biologist from Oxford University, Dr. James Kempton.

This species is very different from other mammals because it belongs to monotreme passerines, a group of egg-layers that split off from other mammals about 200 million years ago.