Pine martens are recovering in Scotland and have been reintroduced to England and Wales. Their welfare depends on woodland connectivity and freedom from persecution.
Pine marten welfare in the reintroduction context involves the stress of capture, translocation, and establishment in unfamiliar territory. Translocated animals have higher mortality rates than established individuals as they learn new landscapes. The interaction with grey squirrels presents both a conservation opportunity and a welfare consideration - pine martens kill grey squirrels but appear to cause their numbers to decline through behavioural aversion. Illegal trapping by gamekeepers remains a welfare threat even for the legally protected species.