Karwar: Bringing cheer to wildlife enthusiasts, a lion-tailed macaque has been sighted for the first time in Karwar.

The lion-tailed macaque is a primate that Kannadigas refer to as Singalika. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed it under the 'most endangered' species category. K Puttaraju, scientific officer at the Kaiga nuclear plant, said it was spotted in Kaiga Harur forest in the Western Ghats.

Readily identified by their silver-white mane that runs across the outline of their face, macaques are known to avoid human beings. They are seen either at Aghanashini Valley in Siddapur taluk, Uttara Kannada, or Silent Valley in Kerala. Puttaraju said he had seen as many as four of them in the Kaiga forest area.

"Its rich biodiversity with wetlands, woodlands and waterbodies, makes Kaiga an ideal habitat for threatened birds and animals," he said.

He said though there were rumours of villagers having spotted them a month ago, there is no evidence. "Now we have photographic documentation. Macaques reproduce at the rate of once in three years and only the dominant female reproduces. The combination of low birth rate and advanced age at the time of birth makes it hard for their population to grow. They do not live in plantations and the destruction of their natural habitat has resulted in a drastic decrease in their numbers in the Western Ghats," he added.

Gajanan Hegde, wildlife enthusiast from Siddapur, said: "At last, rare animals are being spotted in the Kali forest area."