Species Recovery Programme for the pine marten in England: 1995-96 (ENRR240)

Surveys of 860km of transects in England and Wales have found no convincing evidence of pine martens (Bright & Harris, 1994; Bright, McDonald & Harris, 1995; McDonald, Bright & Harris, 1994). It is certain that populations outside Scotland have not expanded this century, despite many decades of reduced persecution pressure. Furthermore, unofficial releases and miss-identification of casual sightings and scats could have confused the picture of current pine marten status. We conclude that functional, viable populations capable of expansion do not exist outside Scotland.