Evidence shows animal still exists in the country

A dead pine marten has been found, the first unequivocal evidence for five years that the animal exists in Wales, and the first carcass seen since 1971.

The pine marten is a domestic cat-size relation to the weasel, which is very rare and protected. The carcass was found on the roadside in Newtown, Powys, by a local resident.

The Waterford Institute of Technology in the Republic of Ireland carried out DNA analysis to confirm that the carcass was a young male native to the British Isles.

In the past 20 years the Vincent Wildlife Trust (VWT) has investigated hundreds of reported sightings of the pine marten, however until now, the most recent unequivocal evidence was a DNA tested dropping, found in 2007 during an organised hunt.

According to VWT, though numbers remain very low in England and Wales, pine martens are now on the increase in Scotland.

Natalie Buttriss, chief executive of VWT, said: "The significance of this find cannot be overstated. It adds to the body of evidence supporting the long-held view of mammal experts that this attractive tree-dwelling animal does exist in Wales, but in such low numbers that very few people ever see one."

A new VWT pine marten project officer will start work later this month in Wales, as part of a two-year project to develop long-term conservation plans for the animal.