Fifteen pine martens are darting through the woods of Dartmoor for the first time in 150 years after the rare but recovering species was reintroduced

Pine martens return to Dartmoor after 150-year absence

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2024-10-01 23:00:04

Fifteen pine martens are darting through the woods of Dartmoor for the first time in 150 years after the rare but recovering species was reintroduced into south-west England.

The nimble, tree-climbing mustelids were released last month at secret locations in the steep, tree-lined valleys of Devon in what conservationists are hailing as a historic step in the restoration of the region’s woodlands.

“We haven’t had pine martens here for 150 years, and to see them moving out into this landscape to explore it and find their way is really exciting,” said Ed Parr Ferris, conservation manager at Devon Wildlife Trust, which is leading a partnership of seven conservation organisations returning the marten to south-west England.

The eight adult females and seven males were caught from resurgent populations in Scotland, meticulously checked for health, and driven to 10 woodland pens, where they were released under the cover of darkness well away from people and busy roads. The threat of road traffic is a big risk for the mostly nocturnal animals.

Fitted with GPS or radio tags depending on their size (lighter radio tags were used on the smaller individuals), the animals were fed in the pens for three days to acclimatise, before the doors were opened and the martens slipped away into the night.