First pine marten kits spotted in Exmoor in success for reintroduction scheme

A female pine marten with four youngsters has been filmed on Exmoor, marking the latest success in a scheme to bring the rare animals back to the South West.Some 19 pine martens – animals the size of a small cat from the same family as weasels and otters – were released last September on Exmoor at secret woodland locations owned by the National Trust and Exmoor National Park Authority.The project, which also involved the release of 15 pine martens in Dartmoor National Park in 2024, aims to restore the animals that play a key role in their habitat and help create thriving, resilient woodlands, wildlife experts said.Pine martens were once common in Exmoor, but were lost due to hunting and the decline of their favoured woodland habitat.One clip from an Exmoor trail camera, part of dozens of trail cameras installed as part of the scheme, captures the moment a female and four young – known as kits – visit a spot baited with peanut butter and fish oil, a combination of smells and tastes which experts say pine martens love.The footage is the first evidence pine martens are breeding successfully in Exmoor (Two Moors Pine Marten Project/PA)Ali North, Two Moors Pine Marten Project field officer for Exmoor, said: “These clips were recorded on cameras being monitored by one of our brilliant project volunteers.“We were incredibly excited to finally see kits after so many months of intensive monitoring.“Mothers give birth in March or April and have on average two to three kits, so to see four with their mum was an amazing sight and suggests that Exmoor is the perfect home for these animals.”Ali Hawkins, senior ecologist at Exmoor National Park Authority, said: “Seeing pine martens breeding on Exmoor is a hugely encouraging milestone for nature recovery in the National Park.“It shows what can be achieved through careful partnership working, long-term monitoring and the support of local communities.“While this is very positive news, the population remains small and vulnerable, so continued public support and reporting of sightings will be vital as we help this native species re-establish itself.”Read MoreSince being released, the pine martens have been elusive – as they are shy of people, very mobile and difficult to see.But the camera trap footage means the project now has proof pine martens are successfully breeding in both Exmoor and Dartmoor.Similar clips were recorded by the project on Dartmoor in 2025, confirming breeding had taken place there, while further film footage captured by local residents from this year suggests they have bred for a second successive year.But the conservationists warned the pine marten’s comeback to the region is still at an early, fragile stage, with the animals living at low densities, breeding slowly and at risk from issues such as being killed by road traffic or rat poison.The team behind the project are urging anyone in Devon, Somerset or Cornwall who sees a pine marten to get in touch to help track their progress.