An elusive creature was spotted on trail cameras in an Indian wildlife preserve, highlighting not only its survival, but also the importance of the ongoing study of wildlife.
Researchers spotted the rarely seen ferret badger on cameras placed in India's Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary in Tripura, according to a study published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa, as noted by Island Packet.
"Our photographic evidence of the (ferret badger) marks a first scientifically confirmed record to the current checklist of mammals of Tripura," researchers said. "Furthermore, it underscores the imperative to investigate the natural history of small carnivores, particularly lesser known species, considering the looming threats to the habitat and dynamic ecological landscape of the state, to ensure their continued sustenance."
Ferret badgers are small carnivorous mammals in the same family as weasels, otters, wolverines, and both ferrets and badgers, but they are interestingly neither a ferret nor a badger.
The researchers noted too that the ferret badger has been "overlooked" in scientific research because of their elusive nature and "less attractive appearance compared to many other flagship mammals," an unfortunately very real problem in the conservation world, according to Mongabay.
For the ferret badger, that has "resulted in an incomplete understanding of (their) ecology, biology, life history traits and conservation needs." But thanks to the trail cameras, they're able to observe them more carefully and learn new information, like the fact that they're more omnivorous than previously assumed.
Trail cameras have helped researchers and conservationists better understand how to protect wildlife and ecosystems by observing behaviors and conditions undisturbed by humans.
Last year, a Canadian lynx was spotted in northern Minnesota, a species considered threatened under the Endangered Species Act, with just an estimated 100 to 300 living in the state, confirming their presence.
Another encouraging sign was the sighting of a rare female Javan rhinoceros and its calf in Ujung Kulon National Park in western Indonesia. Javan rhinos are considered the most threatened by extinction, so the calf sighting was an encouraging sign that the herd is growing slowly but surely.
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