Camera traps have confirmed pine marten kits on Exmoor for the first time in over 100 years: a female was filmed with four young. Nineteen martens (nine females and 10 males) were released last year from Scottish Highlands populations by the Two Moors Pine Marten Project. The sighting follows earlier breeding on Dartmoor after releases in 2024, but conservationists warn the species' comeback is early and fragile and will need continued monitoring and local support.
Pine Marten Kits Born On Exmoor — First Time In Over 100 Years
Pine marten kits were captured on Exmoor for the first time in a video [The Two Moors Pine Marten Project]
New camera-trap footage has confirmed that pine marten kits have been born on Exmoor for the first time in more than a century. A female pine marten was recorded with four kits as they explored local woodland during ongoing monitoring by the Two Moors Pine Marten Project.
Last year the project released 19 pine martens into the area — nine females and 10 males — moved from populations in the Scottish Highlands. The Exmoor sighting follows a similar success on nearby Dartmoor, where kits were filmed after 15 martens were released in 2024.
“The arrival of pine marten kits on Exmoor is a fantastic sign that these animals are beginning to establish themselves once again in the South West,” said Nigel Garnsworthy, Restore Nature Delivery Manager at the National Trust.
The reintroductions represent the first major, coordinated attempt to rebuild a sustainable breeding population of these tree-climbing members of the weasel family in the South West since they were hunted to extinction here more than a century ago. Conservationists note that pine martens are highly mobile and naturally shy of people, which makes direct sightings rare and camera evidence especially valuable.
“We were incredibly excited to finally see kits after so many months of intensive monitoring,” said Ali North, Field Officer for the Exmoor project. “This has been a real community effort, from building den boxes to installing and checking remote cameras.”
Project partners stress the recovery is still at an early and fragile stage. Continued monitoring, habitat management and community engagement will be essential to help secure a viable wild population across Exmoor, Dartmoor and the wider South West.
What’s Next
The Two Moors Pine Martens Project and its partners will continue surveillance, install habitat enhancements where needed, and work with local volunteers to support the animals’ long-term recovery.
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