Wildlife Welfare

Wild Pine Marten Prey Welfare and Ecology

Pine martens are important predators whose prey selection influences the welfare of multiple species, including the relationship between pine martens, grey squirrels and red squirrels.

Key Facts

Pine martens cause grey squirrels to avoid the ground, reducing their habitat use
Red squirrels avoid ground-level feeding less than grey squirrels, giving them an advantage
Pine marten predation may be helping red squirrel populations recover in areas of marten recovery
Marten prey includes birds, small mammals and insects as well as squirrels
The ecological role of pine martens supports biodiversity that benefits many species

Welfare Considerations

Pine marten recovery creates complex welfare dynamics across multiple species. Individual grey squirrels experience greater predation pressure where martens recover, while red squirrels may benefit from competitive release. The population-level welfare effect - supporting the recovery of a native species while creating natural predation pressure on an invasive one - is broadly positive for ecosystem health.

What You Can Do

Support pine marten recovery programmes as part of broader ecosystem restoration
Donate to red squirrel conservation projects in areas of pine marten recovery
Advocate for predator-friendly land management that supports natural ecological relationships