Telefomin cuscus

{{Short description|Species of marsupial}}

{{Speciesbox

| name = Telefomin cuscus{{MSW3 Groves|pages=47}}

| image =

| status = CR

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Leary, T. |author2=Seri, L. |author3=Flannery, T. |author4=Wright, D. |author5=Hamilton, S. |author6=Helgen, K. |author7=Singadan, R. |author8=Menzies, J. |author9=Allison, A. |author10=James, R. |author11=Salas, L. |author12=Dickman, C. |date=2016 |title=Phalanger matanim |volume=2016 |page=e.T16851A21950802 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T16851A21950802.en |access-date=11 November 2021}}

| genus = Phalanger

| species = matanim

| authority = Flannery, 1987

| range_map = Telefomin Cuscus area.png

| range_map_caption = Telefomin cuscus range

}}

The Telefomin cuscus (Phalanger matanim) is a critically endangered possum found on New Guinea.

It is named after the Telefol ethnic group, who hunted the animal long before it was identified scientifically by the Australian zoologist Tim Flannery. It is believed to live only in the extremely restricted range of one valley's oak forests at altitudes between {{Convert|1500 and 2000|m|abbr=on}} along a single river in the middle of Papua New Guinea: the Nong River Valley north of Telefomin. After 1997's drought, extremely cold weather ("bitter frosts") which killed the trees, and resulting wildfires, these forests were destroyed, which Flannery believes might have resulted in the species' extinction. In 2022, British tourist Michael Smith found the Telefomin cuscus eaten by the locals, indicating that this species is still surviving in the wild.{{cite web|author=Cosic, M.|date=March 4, 2023|title=Possum feared extinct discovered being cooked on a hungry family's BBQ|website=Mirror|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/possum-feared-extinct-discovered-being-29371153|access-date=April 22, 2024}}