The pine marten is Britain’s second rarest carnivore after the wildcat.

Footage shows species has returned to northern England

Ecologists have captured what is thought to be the first ever video footage of a pine marten in Northumberland.

The Vincent Wildlife Trust has been leading a project to aid the recovery of the pine marten population in Northumberland and Cumbria. Their work forms part of the National Lottery funded ‘Back from the Brink’ programme, which aims to prevent the extinction and promote the recovery of more than 200 species across England.

The trail camera had been in place for just two weeks when Trust volunteers Neil and Amanda Tomas spotted the footage. Forestry Commission ecologist Tom Dearnley said the discovery confirms pine martens have returned to Northumberland:

“This is tremendous news and we are delighted to witness the return of pine martens in one of the forests we manage,” he said. “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 camera was one of 10 that had been placed in the remote woodlands across Northumberland. Local volunteers have been surveying the area to monitor the natural spread of the pine marten into the region from southern Scotland.

Besides monitoring woodlands for signs of pine martens, the volunteers have also been installing artificial den boxes to encourage the species to sleep and breed. Looking ahead, the team aims to improve links between woodlands to allow pine martens to re-colonise suitable areas.

The pine marten is Britain’s second rarest carnivore after the wildcat. Ecologists say the species is in urgent need of conservation action and the spread into northern England will be an important step in its recovery.