Wildlife

Wildlife: Pine Marten Prey and Territory Welfare

Pine martens are native UK predators recovering in Scotland and being reintroduced to Wales and England, with welfare linked to territory availability and prey access.

Key Facts

Pine martens declined to near-extinction in UK by 20th century through persecution and habitat loss
Scottish population recovering to several thousands
Reintroduction to Wales successful with population now self-sustaining
Pine martens have unexpectedly helped red squirrel recovery by outcompeting grey squirrels
Pine martens require large territories with den sites in old woodland

Welfare Considerations

Pine martens need large high-quality woodland territories to survive. Competition with other martens in recovering populations can cause territorial stress and mortality of displaced individuals. Reintroduction welfare requires post-release monitoring to ensure individuals establish territories successfully.

What You Can Do

Support pine marten reintroduction programmes in Wales and England
Report pine marten sightings to monitoring programmes
Install pine marten boxes in suitable woodland habitat
Advocate for woodland connectivity to support expanding marten populations