India GO
Mammal · Ratufa macroura
Grizzled giant squirrel
IUCN NT · Near threatenedProtected under Indian law · I
A large squirrel with grey-flecked fur, endemic to southern India and Sri Lanka, which lives in riverside tamarind galleries rather than in dense forest.
How to recognise it
Search the big old tamarind trees along the Chinnar and Pambar rivers. It is greyer, smaller and far shyer than the maroon Indian giant squirrel of the wet forest.
Protection
Schedule I, Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972
Where to see it
Munnar
Chinnar holds one of India's most important populations, and its whole existence here depends on riverside tamarind trees. Studies have recorded a steep decline, on the order of 78 to 85 per cent below 1990s and 2007 estimates, so it is a species to look for quietly and from a distance.
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary (in season)