<
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/oct/01/pine-martens-return-to-dartmoor-after-150-year-absence>
"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.
Pine martens were driven to extinction in England at the turn of the 20th
century by the loss of forests and persecution, with gamekeepers in particular
targeting the animals for preying upon pheasants and poultry.
They returned naturally to Shropshire in 2015 and populations have since
spread, boosted by hugely successful official reintroductions in Wales and in
the Forest of Dean. Unofficial rogue releases have also resulted in the species
turning up in the New Forest and even in London."
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
