SUSSEX Wildlife Trust, along with other organisations, have announced plans to reintroduce pine martens in the south east of England.
Together with Kent Wildlife Trust and the Wildwood Trust, the team will be assessing the region’s environment to determine whether it is suitable for these timid animals.
The European Pine Marten (Martes martes) was once widespread across England but due to excessive hunting and habitat destruction throughout the 19th century, the population declined severely.
The pine marten is now mostly found in Scotland and Ireland. Environmental organisations have restored this rare species into small areas in parts of the UK.
The Sussex Wildlife Trust said: “We would like to see the restoration of Pine Martens to the south east of England explored as they are part of Britain’s natural fauna and play important roles which contribute to a biodiverse environment, by dispersing the seeds they eat as well as influencing small mammal populations through predation as part of their varied diet.
“This project is in its early stages. We are currently determining whether the habitat in the south east is suitable for Pine Martens, and talking to a range of local people and stakeholders about how they feel about Pine Martens and their potential reintroduction (these are called ecological and social feasibility studies).
“We are forming a stakeholder working group to enable discussions between a range of key organisations and community groups.
“This stakeholder working group will be a key component in determining the outcomes of the South East Pine Marten project. We will share information about the members once confirmed.”
The pine marten is about 60cm to 70cm long and weighs between 1kg to 2kg. They mainly eat small mammals, and sometimes eat bigger prey such as hares.
Occasionally, these nocturnal animals consume berries and fruit, and they live in woodland and dwell inside mature trees with holes and cavities.
Pine martens are classified as mustelids, they belong in the same family as weasels, stoats, badgers, otters and wolverines.
