Scientists Stumble Upon Rare Patch of Pristine Wilderness

From the jungles of Indonesian New Guinea:

OSLO, Norway (Reuters) -- Scientists said on Tuesday that they had found a "Lost World" in an Indonesian mountain jungle, home to dozens of exotic new species of birds, butterflies, frogs and plants.

"It's as close to the Garden of Eden as you're going to find on Earth," said Bruce Beehler, co-leader of the U.S., Indonesian, and Australian expedition to part of the cloud-shrouded Foja mountains in the west of New Guinea.

I'm surprised to learn that there are such places, especially in a country as populous as Indonesia. Beehler adds, "I suspect there are some areas like this in Africa, and am sure that there are similar places in South America." I can only pray that humankind can muster the restraint to leave these realms of virgin wilderness alone.

Photo: Berlepsch's six-wired bird of paradise

In related "lost world" news, illustrator Lynette Cook has made a career out of painting extra-solar planets, which earthlings know to exist but will likely never see.