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Growing Up As An Irish Pine Marten

TRANSCRIPT

- [Narrator] Inside a hollow tree, this pine marten mom has mouths to feed.

Two kits were born in mid-April and are now almost two weeks old.

Utterly dependent on their mother, they must stay inside their tree house for another month.

Until the young pine marten leave home, mom is their only contact with the outside world.

(birds chirping) (marten cooing) By day, she grooms and feeds them and gets some well-earned rest.

Come evening, she leaves for a night hunting in the woods.

(kits squeaking) The kits are left to mind themselves.

And like youngsters of all kinds, keeping quiet is a big challenge.

Little do they know, but these kits are critical to the future of their kind in Ireland.

(kits growling) For four weeks, the pine marten mom has been feeding milk to her kids, but soon they must make the move to solid food.

(birds chirping) For the first time, she brings home prey that they will haunt during their future lives in the wild.

At first, the kits don't quite know what to do.

Is it for eating or playing?

(kits growling) They soon figure it out and are hungry for more.

At four months, the marten kits make their first expeditions out into the real world.

(kits growling) These carefree weeks of their very first summer are precious, as most Martins survive for only five or six years.

Like youngsters of all kinds, the harsh realities of life seem very distant when there's games to be played.

(kits growling) As summer draws to a close, their mother will push them away to live on their own.

These few weeks of play and pleasure will never happen again.

(birds chirping)

Pine Marten Is Spotted In London For The First Time In More Than 100 YEARS - Raising Hopes For The Critically Endangered Species

The pine marten was once Britain's second most common carnivore

But loss of habitat and persecution led the animal to the brink of extinction

Now, a pine marten has unexpectedly been sighted in south-west London  

By VICTORIA ALLEN FOR THE DAILY MAIL

Published: 11:58 EDT, 8 September 2022Updated: 11:58 EDT, 8 September 2022

A pine marten has been spotted in London for the first time since the late 19th century.

The pine marten was once Britain's second most common carnivore.

But loss of habitat and persecution by the Victorians, who shot pine martens for sport and trapped them for their fur, led the animal to the brink of extinction in England.

Now, however, a critically endangered pine marten has unexpectedly been sighted in a south-west London woodland.

A pine marten has been spotted in London for the first time since the late 19th century

The pine marten was once Britain's second most common carnivore. But loss of habitat and persecution by the Victorians, who shot pine martens for sport and trapped them for their fur, led the animal to the brink of extinction in England

What are pine martens? 

An elusive mustelid, the pine marten is mostly found in the north of the UK, particularly Scotland. 

It prefers woodland habitats, climbing very well and living in tree holes, old squirrel dreys or even old bird nests. 

It feeds on small rodents, birds, eggs, insects and fruit, and can even be encouraged to visit birdtables laden with peanuts and raisins. 

During the summer mating season, they make shrill, cat-like calls. 

The following spring, the female will have a litter of between one to five kits, which are independent by autumn. 

Source: Wildlife Trusts

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The return of an animal absent from the capital for more than a century was discovered through a hidden wildlife camera installed by international conservation charity the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).

The camera was used to monitor hedgehogs, as part of the London HogWatch Project.

The project's research assistant, Kate Scott-Gatty, said: 'As part of our ongoing hedgehog monitoring work, we deploy camera traps across woodlands.

'In this area, these are usually set off by the movement of common species such as foxes and badgers, so you can imagine our surprise at seeing a pine marten - a species usually only glimpsed in Scotland and northern England.'

It is not known how the pine marten reached the urban woodland, with the nearest known population living more than 70 miles away in the New Forest in Hampshire.

Conservationists have suspected the animal caught on camera may have been released into the area.

Pine martens are generally restricted to northern and central Scotland, with some very small populations in northern England, the New Forest and Wales.

Dr Chris Carbone, senior research fellow at ZSL's Institute of Zoology, said: 'The return of wildlife to an area can be positive - it might mean that habitat quality is improving, or natural food sources are increasing - but it's important we understand more.

'Any species reintroductions should only be carried out by professionals, with the appropriate checks in place - from assessing habitat suitability to screening for illnesses.'

Elliot Newton, biodiversity officer at the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, said: 'We are so excited to have found such a beautiful and elusive mammal on cameras funded by Kingston Council as part of the HogWatch project.

'Across other European countries, pine martens are recorded in urban settings.

'The individual caught on our cameras is looking in good health and is a very welcome addition to our local fauna.'

The return of an animal absent from the capital for more than a century was discovered through a hidden wildlife camera installed by international conservation charity the Zoological Society of London (ZSL)

The camera was used to monitor hedgehogs, as part of the London HogWatch Project

In July, it was revealed that pine martens could be reintroduced to the south-west of England following a 150-year absence.

A coalition of conservation organisations, including the National Trust, the Devon Wildlife Trust and the Woodland Trust, hope the nocturnal mammals could be released as early as autumn next year.

Pine martens are a tool in the battle to save Britain's native red squirrel, as they tend to hunt grey squirrels more than red ones.

The creatures are omnivores, feeding on whatever is available at the time of year including voles, rabbits, fungi, berries and small birds.

Pine Marten Seen In London For The First Time In Over A Century

The streets, alleys, parks, and green spaces of London are being prowled by a new predator. For the first time in over a century, a trail camera has recorded images of a pine marten in London.

For what was once known as the second most common predator in the U.K., the species is now more common in Scotland and the north of England.

The creature was visible on a trail camera situated more than 40 miles from the closest known population. The urban woodland where the images were captured is in southwest London. The trail camera which produced the sighting was funded by Kingston Council as part of the London HogWatch project, which aims to "halt hedgehog population decline in London."

Pine marten engraving on wood. These species could be interested in London's grey squirrel population as a source of food. Pine marten engraving on wood. These species could be interested in London's grey squirrel population as a source of food. (Thomas Shahan/CC BY 2.0

"In this area, these are usually set off by the movement of common species such as foxes and badgers, so you can imagine our surprise at seeing a pine marten—a species usually only glimpsed in Scotland and northern England," said Kate Scott-Gatty, a research assistant with the project in a statement to a British media outlet. The project's focus had been on London's hedgehog population. Members of the project were surprised to capture an image of a pine marten.

The London sighting is a victory for efforts to reintroduce the species in the U.K. After its numbers have dwindled. The species can be found across much of Europe and Western Asia. As a predator, the species frequently approaches its meal with an opportunist mindset.

Pine marten staring right back at the monitoring camera. The creature was spotted in south-west London, U.K. Pine marten staring right back at the monitoring camera. The creature was spotted in south-west London, U.K. John Purvis/CC BY 2.0

During the summer, pine martens can switch to eating large quantities of berries and wild fruits. The species is said to have the ability to control the population of grey squirrels in London. Native red squirrels are increasingly being outbred in many parts of the country by grey squirrels which are invasive species.

Pine martens are nocturnal and can travel as much as 5 miles in a single night looking for a meal. They can weigh up to 4.8 lbs and live up to eight years, according to the London Wild Life Trust.

In the Victorian era, animals were often hunted for their coats or sport. The pine marten is protected in the U.K. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. The pine marten was designated a Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework. In other regions in which the species is present, it can be found in urban zones.

Pine marten holding a loaf of bread. Native red squirrels are increasingly being outbred in many parts of the country by grey squirrels which are invasive species. Pine marten holding a loaf of bread. Native red squirrels are increasingly being outbred in many parts of the country by grey squirrels which are invasive species. VSmithUK/CC BY 2.0

"Across other European countries, pine martens are recorded in an urban setting," said Elliot Newton, biodiversity officer at the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, in a media statement.

"The individual caught on our cameras is looking in good health and is a very welcome addition to our local fauna."

Edited by Saman Rizwan and Joseph Hammond.

This story was provided to Newsweek by Zenger News.

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