A small carnivore with a deep chocolate-brown coat, reddish-brown forequarters and a distinctive yellow-to-orange throat, the Nilgiri marten is found only in the Western Ghats. It is also one of India’s rarest mammals.

A photograph of the elusive animal by wildlife photographer R Vidhya Vigashini recently drew attention online after IAS officer Supriya Sahu shared it on X around Endangered Species Day on 15 May.

She described the Nilgiri marten as “one of nature’s happiest little secrets”, referring to its distinctive colouring and its life among the shola forests.

The response to the photograph was revealing. Several people admitted they had never seen, or even heard of, the animal before. Others thanked Sahu for introducing them to a species that rarely features in conversations about Indian wildlife.

The Nilgiri Marten is one of nature’s happiest little secrets, with tiny feet, golden-yellow and chocolate fur, and playful agility leaping through the shola forests like a spark of joy. Found nowhere else on earth except the Western Ghats, this rare endemic beauty brings the… pic.twitter.com/XshtjzynK4 — Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) May 13, 2026

The Nilgiri Marten is one of nature’s happiest little secrets, with tiny feet, golden-yellow and chocolate fur, and playful agility leaping through the shola forests like a spark of joy. Found nowhere else on earth except........

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