Pine marten recovery in Britain is a conservation success story with welfare implications for both the recovering martens and the ecosystems they help restore.
Pine marten welfare encompasses both the wellbeing of individual recovering animals and the ecosystem benefits their presence provides for many other species. Individual pine martens that have been translocated for reintroduction experience the acute stress of capture, transport, and release in unfamiliar territory - welfare costs that are justified by the conservation benefit and that experienced practitioners minimize through careful technique. Established wild pine martens living in appropriate woodland habitat have excellent welfare outcomes, utilizing extensive territories with diverse prey availability. The recovery of pine martens illustrates how predator restoration improves the welfare and ecological function of entire communities of species beyond the target animal.