The First Ever Sighting Of The Elusive Himalayan Marmot in Arunachal Pradesh!

And I couldn’t be more elated!!

In a groundbreaking discovery, a researcher has managed to capture the first-ever pictures of the elusive Himalayan Marmot in the scenic state of Arunachal Pradesh. This significant finding has shed light on the distribution and behavior of the endangered species and has sparked excitement among the scientific community and wildlife enthusiasts alike.

The researcher, Hiranmoy Chetia, a PhD scholar under the supervision of Dr Murali C Krishna at Noida’s Amity University, has been studying the Himalayan Marmot for the past four years for his thesis. This elusive species has been known to inhabit the mountains of South Asia, the Tibetan Plateau, Sikkim and Bhutan but still remained largely understudied species of the marmot world. But with Hiranmoy Chetia’s study being published in The Journal of Threatened Species, this has laid the path for future research on them.

The Himalayan Marmot, one of the largest species of marmots, is approximately the size of a house cat and is characterized by its dense, woolly fur, which is rufous grey on the back and rufous yellowish on the ears, belly, and limbs. Driven by a passion for understanding the diversity, distribution, and threats faced by squirrels in the region, the researcher, Mr. Chetia, embarked on this journey to document the various species of squirrels, particularly focusing on the Himalayan Marmot.

The study revealed that the Himalayan Marmot, belonging to the Marmotini tribe, resides in burrows within high-altitude grasslands near Mago village in the Tawang district. These grasslands, situated at an elevation of approximately 4,000 meters, provide a suitable habitat for the marmots. The visual observations made by Mr. Chetia using binoculars and a camera unveiled the marmots' behavior, including their foraging habits and their preparedness for the harsh winters.

The local community, following Tibetan Buddhism, refers to the Himalayan Marmot as "Gomchen Chikpa" in the Dirang Monpa language. The marmots' absence during the winter months, as they hibernate in their burrows, led to the belief that they are engaged in meditation, like hermits. However, despite this spiritual connection, there have been reports of the utilization of marmots in ethnomedicines, where their fat is used as a pain reliever and their skin as a belt for pain relief.

Although the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species categorizes the Himalayan Marmot as "Least Concern," the species still faces various threats, including habitat loss, hunting, predation from feral dogs, and climate change. Mr. Chetia emphasizes the need for further studies to assess the population status and distribution of the species in India, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh, where it has remained overlooked.

The researchers expressed their gratitude to the Divisional Forest Officer of Tawang, Mr. Sange Tsering, the Range Officer Mr. Tage Haniya, and Mr. Supriyo Roy, the Divisional Forest Officer of Tawang, for their support during the study.

The groundbreaking discovery of the Himalayan Marmot in Arunachal Pradesh highlights the region's rich biodiversity and underscores the importance of conservation efforts to safeguard its unique wildlife. It is hoped that the documentation of this elusive species will contribute to its protection and preservation in the face of ongoing threats.

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