Pine marten kits spotted in Dartmoor national park for first time in 100 years
Re -introduced to Dartmoor, Pine Martens was successfully trained, the camera trap images confirmed the presence of young kits fleeing from the forest areas.
This points to an important milestone for protection efforts, as the species has been grown for the first time in the south -west of England for more than a century.
The protectionists who participated in the project were “ecstatic” to witness that they have successfully reproduced to the animals re -introduced.
Reproductive success follows the release of 15 pine Martens – eight women and seven men – in the autumn of 2024 in Dartmoor.
This reproduction is an important part of a wider initiative to restore species to the region.
Historically, the pine Martens was common in the South West, but its populations suffered greatly due to the destruction of forest habitats and human persecution.
Two Moors Pine Marten project, which is a collaborative effort as well as its special local volunteers, has invested hundreds of hours to control the camera traps to monitor cat -sized animals, build boxes and monitor their progress and activities.
The two films show Young Pine Martens, known as Kit, discovering new Devon Houses, and one clip shows that the three kits are chasing each other from the leaves and appeared to a bank in a Dartmoor forest area.
Another showed two kits working along a mother and a tree close to a creek.
Experts, the female pine Martens usually gave birth to two or three kits in the spring, young people tried the first seven to eight weeks before appearing in the early summer and stuck to their mothers the next spring, he said.
The protectionists behind the project said that the population in the South West should grow gradually in the coming years, and the team was preparing to release Pine Martens in the secret places in Exmoor this fall.
“We heard ourselves to ourselves when our volunteers watched the traces of Pine Marten Kits,” he said, “We watched the traces of Pine Marten kits,” he said
“This is a historical moment for the return of an indigenous animal and the future of the forest areas of the South West.
“After the absence of the century, the return of reproduction pine Martens, a positive step in the healing of nature.
“At the same time, the proof of the work done by project partnership and dozens of local volunteers.”
For Devon, Woodland Trust Site Manager Jack Hunt said that staff and volunteers have been checking the camera traps for several months and that they had been “eagerly waiting” in the films for the last few weeks.
“This engagement is great news.
“To recover and improve the situation of our forested areas for many years, to support other landowners to do the same thing and to work in partnership in this project.
The partnership includes Dartmoor National Park Authority, Devon Wildlife Trust, Exmoor National Park authority, Forestry, England, National Trust, Somerset Wildlife Trust and Woodland Trust, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and supported by Vincent Wildlife Trust.
