Elusive Nilgiri marten spotted in Western Ghats, photo goes viral

Chennai: A photograph of the Nilgiri marten — one of India’s rarest mammals — has drawn attention online after IAS officer Supriya Sahu shared it on X around Endangered Species Day on May 15.

The small carnivore, with a deep chocolate-brown coat, reddish forequarters and a distinctive yellow-to-orange throat, is found only in the Western Ghats. It is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with fewer than 1,000 mature individuals estimated globally.

A member of the weasel family and the only marten native to southern India, its range stretches across Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. An adult measures 55-65 cm with a 40-45 cm bushy tail and weighs around 2 kg.

Unlike many carnivores, it is diurnal and spends much of its time in trees, feeding on birds, small mammals, insects, fruits and seeds.

According to a 2023 study of 165 records in the Nilgiris, 67% of sightings were in shola forest ecosystems and 22% in grasslands, mostly around 2,000 metres elevation. Researchers say the species is difficult to detect — a study in Pampadum Shola National Park recorded 42 sightings between 2013-2015, many lasting less than a minute.

Experts say its vulnerability is tied to habitat fragmentation, with forest patches outside protected areas also critical for its survival.