<div><p>After disappearing for more than half a century, it now appears that these creatures are thriving in the New Guinea highlands nearly 3700-4600 meters above sea level.</p><p>These remote locations are now home to the rarest, most ancient candid in the world today. </p><p>"It is our best example of a proto-canid and is truly a living fossil," according to the <a href="http://www.nghwdf.org/hwds" rel="nofollow"><strong>New Guinea Highlands Wild Dog Foundation</strong></a>.</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/3EE90D9800000578-0-image-a-46_1491252752643.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/3EE90D9800000578-0-image-a-46_1491252752643_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>Daily Mail</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>After spotting canine paw-prints in the mud during an expectation last fall, researchers set up trail cameras and bait throughout the region to confirm their suspicions. </p><p>Days later, they were able to capture definitive proof of what appears to be a healthy population of the New Guinea Highland Wild Dog. </p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/3EE90D9300000578-4377192-image-m-58_1491253536194.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/3EE90D9300000578-4377192-image-m-58_1491253536194_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>Daily Mail</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>Research has now documented the presence of at least 15 individuals including a pregnant female and pups. </p><p>These animals are similar to the New Guinea Singing Dog and the Australian Dingo, and researchers say the discovery is an "incredible opportunity for science".</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/HighlandWildDog_Puppies.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/04/HighlandWildDog_Puppies_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>NGHWDF</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>"It is the apex predator of New Guinea and the most important canid in existence," writes <a href="http://www.nghwdf.org/hwds" rel="nofollow"><strong>New Guinea Highlands Wild Dog Foundation</strong></a>. "The HWD is the missing link species between the first early canids and the modern domestic dogs." </p><p></p><p></p></div>