Pine martens have naturally recolonised parts of northern England and Wales from Scottish strongholds, bringing both conservation success and new management questions. Their welfare depends on continued legal protection and habitat connectivity.
Pine marten welfare is primarily threatened by illegal persecution and road mortality. Despite full legal protection, deliberate trapping and killing by gamekeepers protecting game bird estates occurs; documenting this persecution is difficult but evidence from poisoning cases confirms it happens. The welfare of individuals persecuted illegally involves both the suffering of the killed animal and the disruption to local social structure. Pine martens are territorial and the loss of established territory holders can disrupt breeding success for surviving conspecifics. Road mortality is particularly significant for dispersing juvenile males that must travel through unfamiliar landscapes to establish territories. Supplementary feeding for monitoring purposes requires welfare consideration: food types should be appropriate (jam and eggs are commonly used), and feeders must be positioned to prevent other species accessing food that may be inappropriate for them.