For the first time in a century, an elusive little predator has been spotted in the wilds of southwest England.
Somerset Live reported that a trail camera caught heartwarming images of the rare pine marten, leaving local experts pleasantly surprised. The footage was captured in the Mendip Hills within an area managed by the A Patch Wilder project.
Once common throughout Britain, pine martens were nearly driven to extinction because of habitat destruction and excessive trapping for their fur. Only a few thousand remained in the wild in Scotland, but reintroduction efforts are ongoing south of the border.
A Patch Wilder's Charlie Fayers explained to Somerset Live the nearest rewilding project was some 50 miles away, so the group never expected to see one on their cameras: "It is safe to say that this has been probably the biggest and best surprise we have had since starting the project five years ago."
The biggest beneficiaries of a pine marten resurgence are Britain's ailing red squirrels. Behind the pine marten's adorable visage and fluffy ears beats the heart of a stone-cold killer, and invasive grey squirrels are no match for their nimble prowess.
The grey squirrel was introduced to Britain in the 1800s, and these hefty American rodents have devastated native red squirrels by outcompeting them for food as well as through disease. Grey squirrels carry the parapox virus, which doesn't especially harm squirrels but is lethal to reds, per the BBC.
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The pine marten's resurgence is just one of several rewilding programs being carried out across the United Kingdom. Other local favorites, such as beavers and water voles, are starting to reclaim lost ground and restore much-needed biodiversity to local areas.
The story highlights the usefulness of trail cameras for conservationists. This rare sighting would never have occurred otherwise, and it helps confirm the area is suitable for more martens in the future.
A Facebook post about the story by the BBC attracted dozens of comments. Several noted that the reintroduction would be good news for red squirrels.
"Can start to take those pesky grey squirrels!" said one comment. Another expressed similar hope pine martens could make a dent in the overabundance of grey squirrels: "I know that they have been reintroduced in Gloucestershire, as a means of killing all the grey squirrels to hopefully bring back the red squirrel population."
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