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Nilgiri martens sighted in Bisale Ghats

Special Correspondent

MANGALORE: A group of wildlife enthusiasts, including amateur filmmaker Abhaya Simha, have sighted Nilgiri martens in Bisale Ghats.

Mr. Simha, an alumnus of Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, told The Hindu on Tuesday that a family of Nilgiri martens, which is rarely seen in this part of the Western Ghats, was sighted in the forests of Bisale Ghats during a trek.

Mr. Simha filmed them on a video camera. After analysing the physiological features of the animals, he concluded that they were Nilgiri martens.

Conservationist and wildlife activist Niren Jain has confirmed that they were Nilgiri martens.

According "Field Guide to Indian Mammals" written by Vivek Menon, Nilgiri marten is a sub-species of the Yellow-throated marten found in the Himalayas.

The Nilgiri martens are usually seen in grasslands, deciduous and evergreen forests and shola forests in the southern parts of the Western Ghats.

They have a black body with pale yellow or yellowish-orange neck and a white underbelly.

They measure about 55 to 65 cm and weigh about 2 kg.

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