The Tamil Nadu Forest Department began its first-ever study on the Madras Hedgehog (Paraechinus nudiventris), locally called Mulleli, a rare nocturnal mammal endemic to southern India, in the Theri forests of Thoothukudi district. Led by the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) using radio telemetry across Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Salem and Kallakurichi, the study aims to prepare a conservation action plan and support reclassification from 'Least Concern' to 'Threatened' on the IUCN Red List.