Devon pine marten kits born in 'historic moment' on Dartmoor
"To have breeding pine martens back after a century's absence signals a positive step in nature's recovery," she said.Pine martens were once common in the South West, but a loss of their woodland habitat and human persecution caused their extinction, conservationists said.Two films show the young pine martens, known as kits, exploring their new home, with one clip revealing three kits chasing each other through leaves and up a bank in the Dartmoor woodland.The trust said female pine martens typically gave birth to two or three kits in spring and youngsters normally spent up to eight weeks hidden in dens before they emerged in early summer.
The conservationists behind the project said the population across the region should gradually increase over the next few years.The team is preparing for a further release of pine martens at secret locations in Exmoor this autumn.
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