BACK FROM THE WILDERNESS...
Rare pine marten makes welcome return to North York Moors
IT WAS once Britain’s second most common carnivore, but a pre-First World War clearance of woodland habitats and much greater control of predators saw the pine marten become an alltoo-rare creature that has since been confined to some of the nation’s most remote pockets.
But in a long hoped-for discovery and after years of unsubstantiated rumours, wildlife experts have now revealed that they have captured video footage of a male pine marten in the North York Moors.
It is the first living record of the elusive species in Yorkshire for approximately 35 years and the first confirmed record since 1993, when a skull was found.
The breakthrough has excited conservationists who hope to now capitalise on the sighting by taking their efforts to support the pine marten to the next level in the hope that it can be reestablished more widely.
Small populations of pine marten are thought to have survived in some areas of northern England and recent DNA tests on droppings confirmed the animal’s presence in Northumberland.
There have been a number of unconfirmed sightings and reports of the animals in the forests of Yorkshire, but the footage captured on a wildlife camera in the North York Moors is the first concrete evidence to prove that the species has a presence in Yorkshire.
The footage, which has been shared on YouTube and can also be seen on The Yorkshire Post’s website, was recorded by the Yorkshire Pine Marten Project, which is run by not-for-profit social enterprise NatureSpy in partnership with the Forestry Commission.
The sophisticated countryside surveillance project started four years ago, with camera traps set up in various locations around the North York Moors.
The cameras constantly monitor a particular area for months at a time and recordings are triggered when an animal passes in front of them, taking a picture or video.
Ed Snell, Yorkshire Pine Marten Project co-ordinator for NatureSpy, said: “To finally prove pine marten presence in Yorkshire is a massive achievement for everyone involved.
“Pine marten are such an important species, being the second rarest carnivorous mammal in the UK. It’s so exciting to plan the next stage of the project and aid whatever populations we may have here.”
Cath Bashforth, ecologist at the Forestry Commission, added: “It is great to have a confirmed sighting of pine marten on Forestry Commission land.
“Supporting on this project has been exciting and to discover they are living within our forests after so many years is fantastic. We are looking forward to progressing the project further.”
Having enjoyed their ‘eureka’ moment, the project team will now begin a process of collecting DNA samples from individual pine marten, estimate population numbers, look at habitat preferences and produce habitat management proposals.
A fundraising initiative to develop the project further has been launched online at the Crowdfunder website, with an initial target set to raise £1,500 from public backers.
Many unanswered questions remain following the sighting and those involved in the project are keen to go on to learn just how many more pine marten may be living and breeding in the North York Moors and where this first recorded animal came from.
Once hunted for their highly prized fur, there is renewed hope that the pine marten has a future in the Yorkshire countryside.
To finally prove pine marten presence is a massive achievement. Ed Snell, Yorkshire Pine Marten Project co-ordinator for NatureSpy.