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KOTA KINABALU: A landmark study has confirmed that the endangered Bornean ferret badger (Melogale everetti) is found only in Sabah, making it one of the world’s most geographically restricted carnivores and a unique component of the State’s natural heritage.

The study, published today in the journal Ecology and Evolution, represents the most comprehensive assessment to date of the elusive species. 

It was conducted through a collaboration between researchers from the Bornean Carnivore Programme, part of the University of Oxford’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), the Sabah Forestry Department and Sabah Parks.

Researchers analysed data collected between 2021 and 2024 from 188 camera-trap stations across Sabah’s western highlands, recording the species more than 400 times during the study period.

Among the key findings was the discovery of a previously unknown population in the Nuluhon-Trusmadi Forest Reserve, extending the species’ known range eastwards beyond the Kinabalu-Crocker landscape.

The research team combined these records with habitat-modelling techniques to produce the most detailed assessment yet of the species’ potential distribution. Despite the discovery of the Trusmadi population, the resulting maps indicate that suitable habitat remains largely confined to the Kinabalu-Crocker-Trusmadi mountain landscape.

The findings provide further evidence that the Bornean ferret badger occurs only in Sabah and support its classification as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Although researchers identified a somewhat larger range than previously recognised, the species remains one of Southeast Asia’s most geographically restricted carnivores and appears to depend on a handful of mountain landscapes in western Sabah.

Weighing only around one kilogramme, the Bornean ferret badger is a small, nocturnal carnivore rarely seen by people. Despite inhabiting one of the world’s best-known biodiversity hotspots, remarkably little is known about its behaviour and ecology.

Camera traps have revealed the species foraging on the forest floor at night, while researchers have also photographed an individual carrying a snake, offering a rare glimpse into the secretive life of the elusive mammal.

Bornean Carnivore Programme Field Manager Mohammad Aliyuddin Jaini said he had never seen or even heard of the Bornean ferret badger despite growing up in Tambunan.

“I decided to place some camera traps around my family’s farm simply to see what wildlife might be there, and I was amazed when a Bornean ferret badger appeared in the photographs,” he said.

“To discover that an endangered species found only in Sabah was living right on our doorstep was a special moment. I hope this study helps more Sabahans appreciate and take pride in the remarkable wildlife that makes our State unique.”

Researchers believe the Bornean ferret badger could become an important flagship species for the conservation of Sabah’s montane ecosystems. The forests of the Kinabalu-Crocker-Trusmadi mountain landscape support numerous endemic plants and animals and provide vital ecosystem services, including water catchments that sustain communities throughout the State.

Lead author Dr Andrew Hearn, who is also Director of the Bornean Carnivore Programme at WildCRU, said the study strengthened the conclusion that the species is found only in Sabah.

“Our study adds further weight to the conclusion that the Bornean ferret badger is found only in Sabah. Despite decades of wildlife surveys across Borneo, all confirmed records remain confined to the Kinabalu-Crocker-Trusmadi mountain landscape,” he said.

“Few places in the world can claim a mammal found nowhere else on Earth, and Sabah should be proud to be one of them.”

Hearn said researchers had proposed the alternative common name “Kinabalu ferret badger” to strengthen the connection between the species and the landscape it inhabits.

“Like several other species named after Mount Kinabalu, it represents a unique component of Sabah’s mountain biodiversity,” he said.

He added that the species could also offer opportunities for carefully managed nature-based tourism in the future.

“Wildlife enthusiasts already travel from around the world to Sabah to experience its extraordinary biodiversity, and local communities, especially those from the Kinabalu Ecolinc area, may one day be able to provide specialist wildlife-watching experiences focused on the Bornean ferret badger,” he said.

The study was made possible through a long-term collaboration involving the Bornean Carnivore Programme and WildCRU at the University of Oxford, the Sabah Forestry Department, Sabah Parks, the Sabah Wildlife Department, the Sabah Biodiversity Centre, local communities and numerous field assistants who conducted surveys across Sabah’s mountain landscapes.

Hearn said conserving the Bornean ferret badger ultimately means conserving Sabah’s extraordinary mountain ecosystems.

“This species is part of Sabah’s natural heritage, and its future depends on the continued protection of these forests and the partnerships that have helped safeguard them,” he said.