The Travancore flying squirrel, also known as the small flying squirrel, is found in Southern India. It's less sighted due to its crepuscular and cryptic habits. The Indian palm squirrel, on the other hand, adapts easily near human populations in urban areas, plantations and open rural areas. It is also known to be easily tamed by humans. This difference nudged biologist Nandini Rajamani to launch a social media campaign in 2020 that involved public participation. "Indian palm squirrels are commonly seen, and fed and touched by humans. But we don't know what exactly they eat, why they thrive around us unlike the Travancore flying squirrel, and what their life span is," she says, explaining the reason behind using social media and Citizen Science (scientific research conducted by amateur scientists).

Within a few months,  Tirupati-based  Rajamani and her team hit gold. "We got amazing responses on Instagram and Facebook from a large number of people sharing their observations with us. This was possible because the Indian palm squirrel is found in our backyards. An unknown author sent us a video that shows a female Indian giant squirrel leaping from a tree and across a highway to rescue a baby squirrel. This and many other instances proved that parental care is a vital characteristic of this mammal group," she adds.