Rare roo trapped

The rodent-like Gilbert Potoroo marsupial, a kangaroo species presumed extinct for more than a century, was rediscovered in south-western Australia by an Australian student who recently trapped a pair.

"They are the most beautiful animals, with a long nose and incredibly soft fur, a little tail and long nails," says Elizabeth Sinclair, the zoology student. They were last seen in 1869.

The elusive potoroos live in burrows and survive on fungi. Scientists strapped a radio transmitter to the male and released it. The female has been detained for further observations. "No one can say whether the population is big enough for the species to survive in the long run", observe scientists.