PINE martens have officially returned to the South West - a year before their scheduled reintroduction to Exmoor.

The 15 pine martens, including eight adult females and seven adult males, were released at secret locations on Dartmoor, in Devon.

The return of the cat-sized members of the weasel family, which are critically endangered, comes after at least 100 years.

Ed Parr Ferris, conservation manager at Devon Wildlife Trust, said: “Pine martens are stunning members of the weasel family, about two foot long, weighing just one-and-a-half kilos, with their creamy-orange bibs contrasting against their smooth chocolate-coloured coat. 

"They are amazingly well adapted for life in the woodland night, with strong claws, lithe bodies, fantastic hearing and even reversible rear ankles helping them to run down trees.”

The project, being led by the charity Devon Wildlife Trust, is a partnership between seven conservation organisations: Dartmoor National Park Authority, Devon Wildlife Trust, Exmoor National Park Authority, Forestry England, National Trust, Somerset Wildlife Trust and Woodland Trust. 

Arriving under the cover of darkness each animal was placed in its own specially constructed pen at woodland locations which were chosen for their seclusion. 

After three days of quiet acclimatisation, the pen doors were opened, and the pine martens were allowed to make their first historic steps into the wild. 

The return of pine martens is the work of The Two Moors Pine Marten Project and comes after two years of planning and consultation with local communities.

It has been made possible with the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Pine martens went extinct in the South West of England more than 100 years ago after centuries of loss to their favoured woodland living places and as the result of hunting and trapping. 

The release of pine martens into Dartmoor was the first phase in the project’s plans to establish a resident population of the cat-sized, tree-climbing members of the weasel family. 

The project’s second phase will see a similar release of the animals in Exmoor during 2025.

The project is now carefully monitoring the progress of the 15 pine martens: each animal was fitted with a radio collar to allow their movements to be tracked. 

The collars were fitted under vet supervision, are lightweight and have been specially designed so as not to restrict the movement of the animals - the collars will drop off the animals after six to nine months of use.

Ali Hawkins, Exmoor National Park Authority’s Senior Ecologist, said: “We are delighted to see the first release of pine martens back into the South West on Dartmoor. 

"It’s been an amazing partnership effort over a number of years to get to this point and we are excited that this will pave the way for a release on Exmoor next year. 

"We have historical evidence that these amazing animals used to be in our Exmoor woodlands and their presence will help to re-address the ecological balance and drive forward nature recovery”.

Pine martens are mostly solitary creatures and live at low densities. 

The population is expected to grow gradually over the coming years.