Conservationists in north England have captured camera-trap footage of a pine marten in the snow.
Watch the video:
“The trail camera has been in situ for just two weeks, one of ten we have placed in remote woodlands across Northumberland,” said Kevin O’Hara, Pine Marten Project officer for the Back from the Brink programme.
“Local volunteers are surveying woodlands to monitor the natural spread of the pine marten into Northumberland and Cumbria from southern Scotland, and it was two of our volunteers, Neil and Amanda Tomas, who spotted the footage while doing a routine check of the camera”.
The Pine Marten Project is working with local people to help the recovery of the species in Northumberland and Cumbia.
As well as with working with communities and monitoring woodlands for signs of pine martens, the project plans to install artificial den boxes and to improve connectivity between woodlands.
“This is tremendous news and we are delighted to witness the return of pine martens in one of the forests we manage,” says Tom Dearnley, an ecologist with the Forestry Commission. “We have had occasional reports of pine martens in the area, but this video proves that they are now back in the forests of Northumberland.”
The Pine Marten Project is led by the Vincent Wildlife Trust, and is part of the Back from the Brink programme.
