Why are pine martens so hard to see?

They're often active at night or around dawn and dusk, live at low densities and use large ranges. They are excellent climbers but also travel and forage on the ground, so their elusiveness is not simply because they spend most of their time in trees.

Where in England can I find pine martens now?

Scotland is the main stronghold. In England there is a small natural population around Cumbria and Northumberland, with reintroduced populations in the Forest of Dean and Devon. Current records are more reliable than a fixed Lake District-to-Yorkshire route.

Why did pine martens almost disappear from England?

Historic persecution for game protection, together with woodland loss, reduced pine martens severely. Their main British stronghold survived in north-west Scotland; full Schedule 5 protection came in 1988, and recovery now also includes reintroductions.

Meet the Wild Locals

The Pine Marten Return Problem: When a Mammal Recolonises and Nobody Notices

Pine martens are recovering through natural spread and reintroductions, but they're elusive and roughly the size of a small cat, so your chances of actually seeing one remain somewhere between slim and extremely slim.

8 August 20268 min read