‘Rare and elusive’ mammals spotted in the dark on trail cameras in India. Take a look

In a darkened forest of northern India, an “elusive” mammal emerged from its burrow to search for its next meal. Its meanderings triggered a nearby camera — which captured the “rare” sighting.

A team of wildlife researchers set up dozens of trail cameras at two wildlife sanctuaries in Jammu and Kashmir between 2020 and 2023, Ajaz Ansari and Neeraj Sharma wrote in a study published Sept. 26 by the peer-reviewed Journal of Threatened Taxa. The motion-sensor cameras would photograph whatever animals passed by, but researchers were mostly interested in one specific animal: the Indian pangolin.

Indian pangolins, scientifically known as Manis crassicaudata, are scaly mammals with “long adhesive” tongues and a burrowing lifestyle, the study said. They are generally “nocturnal,” “cryptic” and “difficult to observe in the wild.”

In 2016, wildlife surveys at a sanctuary in Jammu and Kashmir encountered just one pangolin. Still, the sighting was enough to prompt follow-up surveys.

This time, trail cameras captured nine photographs of Indian pangolins over the span of 3,144 nights, researchers said. Photos show these “rare and elusive” animals.

Three photos from Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary show pangolins sniffing along the ground and possibly digging. Another photo from Surinsar-Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary shows a pangolin walking toward a small bush.

Researchers also located 31 pangolin burrows, the study said. Most of these were likely old and unused. Only six burrows “showed signs of recent activity.”

Based on the sightings, researchers concluded Indian pangolins were largely nocturnal and preferred burrows in low elevation, forested areas with “easy access to water.”

Researchers did not specify how many different pangolins were photographed.

Indian pangolins can reach about 2 feet in length and weigh up to about 40 pounds, according to the World Wildlife Fund’s India office. Like other pangolins, the species is threatened by poaching and habitat loss.

Researchers hoped their pangolin surveys will help “effectively implement conservation strategies for the vulnerable animal.”

Jammu and Kashmir is a territory of India within the Kashmir region, the site of a decades-long border dispute between India, Pakistan and China. Jammu and Kashmir borders Pakistan to the north and west, China to the east and the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south.

Endangered creature — with ‘cone-shaped’ head — born at Illinois zoo. See the newborn

‘Giant’ scaly animal — once feared locally extinct — photographed in Senegal. See it

Rare ‘Pokémon’-like creature with humongous tongue spotted in Singapore. See the video