Two Moors Pine Marten Project FAQs

What are pine martens?

Pine martens are small animals that belong to the same family as weasels. They like to live in trees and are very good climbers. Their fur is a rich brown color, and they have a cream-colored patch on their throat and chest. They are about the same size as a small house cat.

What do pine martens eat?

Pine martens eat whatever food is easy to find at different times of the year. They mostly eat small animals like voles (a type of mouse) but they also eat birds, eggs, beetles, wasps, and berries in the autumn. In winter, they sometimes eat dead animals they find. They can also eat grey squirrels, but that’s only a small part of their diet.

Where do pine martens live?

Pine martens love woodlands. They are great climbers and like living in places with lots of trees. They make their homes in holes in trees, old bird nests, fallen logs, or thick plants. They like quiet places near woods where they can hunt and look for food. Pine martens usually live alone and need quite a lot of space.

How big are their territories and how far do they travel?

A pine marten’s home area, called its territory, is usually between 5 and 10 square kilometres, depending on how much food and shelter there is. Some pine martens travel long distances — most move up to 50 kilometres, but a few have been known to go over 100 kilometres from where they were born or released. 

When and why did pine martens disappear from South West England?

A long time ago, pine martens were common all over the UK. But people caused their numbers to drop. For thousands of years, people cut down forests where pine martens lived. In the past, their soft fur was very valuable, so they were hunted and trapped. There were also laws that told people to kill animals like pine martens.

By the 1800s, pine martens had almost disappeared because of hunting and habitat loss. They became extinct in Devon, Somerset, and Cornwall between 1870 and 1880. There hasn’t been a pine marten population in South West England since the late 19th century.

Have there been any pine marten sightings in Devon and Somerset since they disappeared?

Yes, there have been a few sightings of pine martens in Devon and Somerset. However, most of these are thought to be animals that escaped from private collections or were released without permission.

These pine martens usually don’t survive for long or create new populations because they have trouble finding other pine martens to live and breed with. They often travel long distances looking for a mate, which puts them in danger — especially of being hit by cars.

To help bring pine martens back safely, the Two Moors Pine Marten Project started a careful reintroduction program. The team worked with local people, checked that release sites were safe, made sure the animals were healthy, and got the right licences to release them.

Are pine martens protected?

Yes. Pine martens are protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This means it’s illegal to:

• Kill, hurt, or capture a pine marten.
• Disturb a pine marten while it’s in its den (its resting place).
• Damage or block a pine marten’s den.
• Own, sell, or transport a pine marten, or any part of one, without a special licence.

The Two Moors Project has permission from NatureScot and Natural England to trap and move pine martens for their reintroduction to South West England — helping the species return to its old home.

There are two main reasons to bring pine martens back to South West England.

1. To help save a rare animal.
Pine martens used to live across England and Wales, but people caused them to disappear by cutting down forests and hunting them. Now, they are one of the rarest mammals in Britain. The good news is that the problems that made them disappear are no longer as bad, so pine martens could survive here again if we help them return.

If we don’t reintroduce them, it could take at least 25 years — or even longer — for pine martens to reach the South West naturally. Pine martens are a special part of Britain’s wildlife, and seeing them back in our woodlands makes nature richer and more balanced.

2. To help nature stay healthy.
Pine martens play an important role in woodland ecosystems. They help control other animal populations and spread seeds by eating berries. Without animals like them, woodlands can become unbalanced and less diverse.

They also help reduce numbers of grey squirrels, which are not native to the UK and can harm trees and red squirrels. Scientists are still studying exactly how pine martens affect grey squirrels, but early signs are positive.

Bringing pine martens back can also help local communities by attracting wildlife tourists — just like in Scotland, where people visit to see these rare creatures in the wild. 

The project team undertook two years of extensive evaluation to determine the feasibility and appropriateness of reintroducing pine martens. This included assessments of the ecological impact on other native species, the socio-economic effects on potentially affected businesses such as agriculture and commercial shoots, and consultation with local communities the team also worked to successfully  gain the necessary permissions and licenses from governing authorities to move animals from existing healthy populations in Scotland to best suitable sites in the South west of England.

Evidence and research

To learn more about the research behind the Two Moors Pine Marten Project, including the Habitat Regulations Assessment, please visit our Reports and Documents webpage.

Pine martens are doing well in Scotland and have started to spread into northern England. However, they probably wouldn’t reach southern England on their own because there are big cities and areas without enough woodland in the way.

That’s why the reintroduction in the South West is part of a National Recovery Plan for pine martens. The plan uses lessons learned from earlier projects in Mid-Wales, the Forest of Dean, Scotland, and Europe.

Devon Wildlife Trust has set up the National Pine Marten Projects Group, which brings together scientists and conservationists from around the country to share research and make sure everything is done using the latest evidence.

After years of planning and working with local communities, the first pine martens were released on Dartmoor in September 2024 — 15 in total (8 females and 7 males). This was a historic moment for wildlife in the region.

In spring 2025, the first baby pine martens, called kits, were born on Dartmoor — a sign that the animals are settling in well. Later, in October 2024, another 19 pine martens (9 females and 10 males) were released on Exmoor. 

The translocations were led by the Two Moors Pine Marten project with the expert help of staff from Vincent Wildlife Trust. The translocations followed the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines on translocations and Defra’s code and guidance for reintroductions and other conservation translocations. The capture and reintroduced pine martens came from Scotland, meaning that the project also complied with the Scottish Code for Conservation Translocations.

The welfare of the animals was our primary concern throughout the long planning stages of the project and while carrying out the translocations. Over a period of a month in early autumn 2024 the animals were humanely captured in Scotland using the expertise of colleagues at Vincent Wildlife Trust who could draw on their extensive experience gained in similar successful translocations of pine martens to Wales (2015) and the Forest of Dean (2019). The animals were then health checked, sexed and aged by a vet. Only those pine martens which were of a suitable breeding age and who were fit and healthy were selected for the translocation to Devon. The journeys were done by road at night using a specially adapted, climate-controlled vehicle. No more than four animals were moved per trip. The animals were held in their own secure pens, separate from one another so as to reduce disturbance. They were checked, fed and watered every 2-3 hours during the journey. On arrival in Dartmoor each pine marten was placed in a specially constructed pen in woodland locations which were chosen for their seclusion and surrounding suitable habitat. After three days in which they were fed and watered, the pens were opened and the pine martens could take their first steps into the wild of the Devon countryside.

The collars were specially made for the pine martens. Before travelling to Devon each of the pine martens was weighed so that an appropriately sized collar could be fitted to the animal. This collar’s design has been used successfully and without harm to pine martens in past translocation projects. Each collar is made of a soft leather and contains a stud fastening which will mean it drops off the animal six to nine months after fitting. In the meantime, the collars will provide the project with invaluable data with which to closely monitor each animal’s progress.

This is a permanent reintroduction, meaning the goal is to bring pine martens back for good. The animals released on Dartmoor and Exmoor are expected to have kits and slowly spread across the South West over the next few years.

Scientists are using radio collars to track them at first, which will naturally fall off after 6 - 12 months.  Later the project will use camera traps to keep watching the population. There are already 75 cameras set up in the woods, and more will be added — including ones owned by local people helping as “citizen scientists.”

This approach, combined with targeted monitoring by project partners, will provide robust data on the population well beyond the initial release period and the life of the project itself. 

Yes—pine martens released on Dartmoor in autumn 2024 have successfully bred, with camera traps capturing footage of kits in June 2025. This marks the first recorded births from the reintroduction effort led by the Two Moors Pine Marten Project.

Female pine martens usually give birth to 2–3 kits in spring, following a unique process called delayed implantation, where mating occurs in late summer but pregnancy doesn't begin until January. The kits stay hidden in dens for 7–8 weeks, emerging in early summer and remaining with their mothers until winter.

Pine martens are solitary, nocturnal, and live at low densities—typically only one or two individuals per several square kilometres—so sightings will remain rare. However, this successful breeding is an encouraging sign, and conservationists expect the population to grow gradually over the coming years as the species re-establishes itself in the South West.

If you think you’ve seen a pine marten (alive or dead) in the South West you can let us know by contacting pinemartens@devonwildlifetrust.org or call Devon Wildlife Trust on 01392 279244. Please try and record film or a photo of the animal(s) and tell us exactly where and when your sighting took place. Thank you.

In May 2024 we announced that the Pine Martens Bounce Back: The Two Moors Pine Marten Project had received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £1.2 million. 

This is a welcome boost to the project. It will ensure that the reintroduction of pine martens to the South West of England can now take place.

Funding made possible by money raised by National Lottery players will also enable the project to launch an ambitious programme of community activities which will engage people in exploring, learning about and caring for the region’s woodlands.

Over three years, thousands of people will support the return of this missing piece of our woodland community and help restore the region’s woodlands. Hundreds of opportunities will be made available to people from across the South West drawn from diverse backgrounds.

The project also has a strong focus on creating pathways for young people to get involved in conservation through volunteering and traineeships.  

Further details of opportunities to get involved with ‘Pine Martens Bounce Back’ will be appear soon!

You can find all the reports and studies about the pine marten project on the Devon Wildlife Trust website.
These include studies on habitats, disease risks, and results from public surveys.

Find the reports here

The reintroduction took seven years of planning by the Two Moors Pine Marten Project team. They worked with scientists, local landowners, farmers, and communities to make sure it was safe for both people and wildlife.

Experts checked how the return of pine martens might affect other animals, farms, and local businesses. They also made sure all the correct licences were in place.

The pine martens came from healthy wild populations in Scotland. They were carefully caught by experts from the Vincent Wildlife Trust, checked by vets, and only healthy adults were chosen. They travelled overnight in a special vehicle with air control and food stops every few hours.

When they arrived, each pine marten was placed in a safe pen in the woods for three days to get used to their new home. Then the doors were opened, and the martens were free to explore the countryside again!

The project followed international conservation rules to make sure the animals were treated safely and responsibly. There aren’t plans for more releases right now, but there may be more in the future if needed.

No. The pine martens came from strong, healthy populations in the Scottish Highlands. Only a small number were taken, and experts made sure this didn’t harm the Scottish population.

We recognise that reintroducing a native predator like the pine marten can raise concerns for a range of stakeholders – from those interested in vulnerable wildlife that could be preyed to those whose businesses or livelihoods may be impacted, such as the shooting community, farmers or woodland managers. 

We have worked hard to have a presence within the communities we are working in, building close relationships with local partners, stakeholders, and residents. Our team includes Field and Community Engagement Officers who live within project areas, enabling them work closely with local people.  

Over two years of consultation (from 2022) helped directly shape the project, with input from hundreds of individuals and organisations. Stakeholder feedback has led to tangible changes in the project, such as increased advisory capacity, additional species surveys, and a nest box trial to monitor potential impacts.  

We have more recently established the Pine Marten Group which provides an opportunity for dialogue with key stakeholder representatives, where we share updates on the project and listen to concerns and opportunities raised and discuss how to progress actions around these.  

Our Field Officers continue to offer one-to-one visits, drop-ins, and group sessions to support land managers and respond to concerns. Additionally, webinars, workshops, public events and creative commissions have helped raise awareness of pine martens and their role in woodlands, also providing an opportunity for local communities to connect with the project and ask questions of project and partner staff. 

We remain committed to open communication and welcome further input throughout the project. If anyone has any questions or would like to arrange a site visit or meeting, please contact the project on pinemartens@devonwildlifetrust.org. 

Prior to the animals being moved from Scotland a full Disease Risk Analysis was undertaken, the animals were health checked and licences for the translocation were obtained from NatureScot and Natural England. Only healthy animals were translocated from Scotland.  

The Two Moors Pine Marten Project is led by the Devon Wildlife Trust and includes:

• Dartmoor National Park Authority
• Exmoor National Park Authority
• Forestry England
• National Trust
• Somerset Wildlife Trust
• Woodland Trust

The Vincent Wildlife Trust provided expert help, and The National Lottery Heritage Fund gave important funding.

Local landowners, volunteers, and communities have also been a huge part of making the project a success.

No. Pine martens live at low densities and an average density is 0.5 pine martens per km2, although the size of their home range can vary considerably depending on the available woodland cover and other resources. Following successful breeding a female pine marten can give birth to between one and four kits each year, but most commonly just a single kit. This means that they will never become overly abundant. Pine martens are primarily solitary and avoid each other, except for breeding. This means that if you see two or three pine martens together, it will most likely be a female with young or juvenile siblings that sometimes stay together in their first year.  

Pine martens have coexisted with a wide range of bird species across their European range for thousands of years, and there is no reason they cannot do so in England. They are opportunistic predators with a highly varied diet, typically preying on common woodland species such as woodpigeon, jay, and blackbird. 

Martens are solitary animals that live at low population densities, have large home ranges, and tend to target locally abundant prey. As a result, their impact on both rare and common bird species is likely to be much lower than that of more widespread and generalist predators such as foxes, domestic cats, and crows. This makes it unlikely that pine martens would significantly affect populations of rare or vulnerable birds in wild environments. 

In some specific cases—particularly where conservation activities are focused on species using nest boxes or bat roosts—targeted mitigation may be needed to protect these features. 

Concerns are sometimes raised about ground-nesting birds, such as curlew. However, curlew typically nest in open habitats far from woodland, while pine martens rarely venture more than 200 metres from woodland edge, often less. This makes the likelihood of encounters very low. Curlew and other ground-nesters face a range of pressures, including predation by corvids (e.g. crows), which have increased significantly in recent decades. Pine martens may help reduce this pressure by preying on corvids, potentially benefiting vulnerable bird species in the longer term. 

To better understand and manage potential impacts on birds, the project has actively engaged with relevant organisations, including PiedFly.Net, the Curlew Headstart Project, Duchy of Cornwall, RSPB, BTO, Devon Birds, and the Somerset Ornithological Society. 

Pine martens may take poultry or game birds if they can gain access to pens, but predation can be prevented using simple and effective husbandry techniques.  

Pens that are already effective at excluding foxes, polecats, stoats, and domestic cats, will protect against pine marten. However, as pine martens may access pens via overhanging branches, additional netting over the top of pens and clearing overhanging branches around poultry pens can effectively reduce the chance of marten accessing a pen. 

More information: How to exclude pine marten from game and poultry pens - Vincent Wildlife Trust  

Please see Two Moors Project Feasibility Study section 7.5.5 Risks to poultry and gamebirds. 

A potential issue that has been observed is pine martens driving gamebirds on, prior to a shoot. Gamekeepers have employed novel approaches to put off predators, such as playing Radio 4 in woodlands! The Two Moors Pine Marten Project is keen to work with stakeholders to explore such techniques. The project’s Field Officers are available for landowner site visits to explore which measures may be appropriate and suitable. Please contact: pinemartens@devonwildlifetrust.org 

Bats do not play a functional role in pine martens’ diet and there is very little evidence of frequent bat predation by pine martens. Elsewhere in Europe where pine martens occur, they are not viewed as a serious threat to bat populations, and the behavioural adaptations of bats roosting in buildings means that the potential for predation by martens is very low. However, pine martens will occasionally access buildings and den (rest) in them, therefore, some bat species that roost in buildings may be at risk of disturbance or predation by pine martens. The Two Moors project conducted detailed ecological feasibility and impact assessment work (including a Habitat Regulations Assessment) prior to any release.  

As part of the reintroduction project, mitigation methods to protect roosting bats would be used around the pine marten release areas and made available to be deployed elsewhere if needed. Pine marten den boxes would also be set up around release areas to provide the pine martens with shelter away from buildings, to reduce the risk to bat roosts. The Two Moors Project has assessed and carried out proactive mitigation on vulnerable bat roosts including installing anti-climb sheeting, tip-trays and baffles.

Hazel dormice are unlikely to be predated by pine martens in natural nest sites or while active.  

Dormice could be vulnerable to pine marten predation in a nest box, especially on cooler days when they go into torpor ( a deep energy saving sleep - similar to winter hibernation but shorter in duration). However, dormouse nest boxes tend to have rear facing entrance holes positioned against a tree, making them very difficult for a pine marten to access. Dormouse nest boxes can also be easily modified to prevent pine martens from opening their lids. Securing the lids will prevent pine martens from gaining access.  

Pine martens are important for keeping woodlands healthy. Grey squirrels can harm trees, especially broadleaf woodlands, by stripping bark and causing other damage. This costs England and Wales about £37 million each year, due to lost timber value, reduced carbon capture, tree repairs, and replacements. If pine martens help reduce grey squirrel numbers, it could allow more broadleaf trees to grow well and produce better-quality timber.

The strongest evidence of pine martens affecting grey squirrels comes from Ireland and Scotland. In both places, pine martens were given legal protection in the 1980s. Since then, their numbers and range have increased, especially in Ireland since around 2000. As pine martens spread, grey squirrel numbers dropped and red squirrel numbers recovered. These changes usually took 10–15 years at a national level, but locally effects can happen faster. In some areas, grey squirrel numbers have fallen within 5 years of pine martens returning, although this can vary.

It’s important to remember that we can’t be certain how pine martens will affect grey squirrels in South West England. Any large-scale changes will probably take over ten years, but it is likely that some reduction in grey squirrel numbers could happen. The pine marten release on Exmoor may speed up these changes locally. The return of native predators, including goshawks, could help reduce grey squirrels, which may mean less need for harmful trapping methods that can also affect other wildlife.

Once pine martens have settled in an area, there may be less need to control grey squirrels. However, their impact will vary depending on the location, and grey squirrel control will still be needed for some time.

The traps used to kill grey squirrels are not specific, so they can also catch other animals, including birds and mammals. Pine martens can get caught in these traps, which would be illegal under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Because of this, landowners in areas with pine martens must avoid using lethal traps. Natural England and Forestry England suggest safer alternatives, such as live trapping (using legal traps) or targeted shooting, avoiding nests where pine martens might live. 

When live trapping grey squirrels, traps must be checked at least once every 24 hours. If pine martens or other protected species might be caught, traps must be checked twice a day. Between March and June (the pine marten breeding season), traps should be closed at night to avoid catching nursing female martens and leaving their babies alone.

Live trapping takes more time than lethal trapping, and it is unlikely to control grey squirrels across large areas on its own. A mix of live trapping, controlled shooting, and natural predation by pine martens and goshawks is likely to work best.

We have gone through a thorough and extensive process of evidence gathering and research in the process of obtaining licenses for the reintroduction of pine martens and the assessment of disease risk (including the risk of bTB transmission) has been a part of this process. Our Disease Risk Analysis was conducted independently by wildlife disease experts at ZSL (Zoological Society of London) and assessed 66 infectious diseases, identifying that the risk of bovine TB was as low as can be assigned - very low - with the presence of spillover hosts such as deer being thoroughly taken into account. The Disease Risk Assessment can be found on our website alongside additional ecological and social feasibility reports: https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/our-reports-and-documents.  

An additional statement from DEFRA can be found below: 

While we are not aware of any instances of M. bovis (bovine TB) infection in pine martens, a study of TB in wild mammals in south-west England (Delahay et al., 2007) confirmed that M. bovis is present in other small mustelids, such as stoats and polecats. Based on the pathology, density, ecology, and behaviour of these species, the likely risk of onward transmission to other species or cattle is estimated to be very low and they largely act as spillover hosts for the disease. Regarding pine martens, this species typically occurs at very low densities and is largely confined to densely wooded areas, which significantly limits opportunities for interaction with cattle or livestock, especially in a landscape like Exmoor. Based on this information and the previously mentioned study, it seems likely that any risk of TB transmission from pine martens would be minimal and certainly lower than any risks posed by wild deer, badgers, or cattle. Defra has recently discussed this matter with specialists in Natural England and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Their views accord with this assessment, agreeing that any risk from pine martens is negligible. 

Pine martens are not a threat to cats or dogs and will avoid confrontation with other animals where possible. Pine martens are smaller than most domestic cats and dogs.    

Pine martens are not a threat to sheep or other livestock. It is highly unlikely that a pine marten would attack a lamb, and there has never been a recorded case of this behaviour. Pine martens may however scavenge carrion to supplement their diet, particularly in winter when other food sources may be scarce.