A yellow-throated marten, under second-level state protection, appeared recently in Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province. 

It is the first time that an infrared camera recorded yellow-throat marten in the province. According to experts, the yellow-throat marten is named for its obvious yellowish-orange mark on its chest.

The wild animal has a long tail, pointed head, looking very similar to the weasel. Living in mountain forests and hilly areas, it mainly feeds on rodents, birds, eggs, insects and wild fruits. 

Lian Xinming, an associate research fellow with the Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the wide animal might have come to Qinghai by way of the forest.

"There has been no record showing yellow-throated marten in Qinghai Province before. Yellow-throated marten came here through the forest because Make River forest borders Ngawa County and Zamtang County of Tibetan Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Ngawa in Sichuan Province," said Lian.

Located in Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve, Make River forest is one of the widest and highest original nature forests at the source of the Dadu River, a branch of the Yangtze River. 

"Yellow-throated marten is very sensitive to the degraded ecosystem. Therefore, its appearance proves the forest system here is intact with little damage. I think the coming of yellow-throated marten means improvement in Qinghai's eco-environmental protection in recent years," said Lian.

(Cover image via VCG)

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