TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A pair of yellow-throated martens were photographed mating in Yushan National Park, the first time such an event has been recorded in the wild in Taiwan.
This sighting was good news, as last year, three yellow-throated martens were killed on park roads. Yushan National Park officials called upon drivers in mountainous areas to exercise caution and drive slowly to protect martens, per UDN.
The Formosan yellow-throated marten is a subspecies unique to Taiwan and is classified as a Class III conservation-deserving species. It is distributed in forests at an altitude of 300 to 3,900 meters, with research and tracking carried out since 2019 by the Formosan Wild Sound Conservation Science Center.
The marten is an omnivore and despite its cute appearance, can be a ferocious hunter that feasts on small mammals, birds, insects, and fruit. It can also hunt in groups and thus defeat much larger animals such as muntjac deer.

The yellow-throated marten’s mating period typically lasts from September to December. In early spring, babies are born and may stay with their mothers for more than one year.
Yushan National Park Administration said that in December, it filmed a 38-minute mating session of yellow-throated martens in a tree. The camera also captured three other male martens nearby as wildlife experts speculate they were each competing for the attention of the female marten.
The wildlife research team at Yushan National Park has also recorded an alarming number of unnatural interactions between the public and yellow-throated martens. A few incidents have revealed martens begging for food from tourists and foraging through garbage.
Human kitchen waste and interaction with pets such as dogs and cats in mountainous areas have increased the spread of viruses martens. Park officials remind the public to “leave no trace” while visiting forests and refrain from other interactions with the yellow-throated marten.