First sighting record of the elusive Nilgiri Marten Martes gwatkinsii in Wayanad, Southern Western Ghats, India

Abstract

This note reports the first sighting of the elusive and threatened Nilgiri marten in Wayanad district of Southern Western Ghats. All the previously known occurrences of Nilgiri marten in the Western Ghats, along with the addition of this new record, were marked on a map. This record highlights the need for further studies on this population's status and behavior, as well as to understand whether any coexistence or conflicts occur with local people, thereby examining underlying threats to the population in the Wayanad region.