These tree-climbing ninjas are leaving their Scottish stronghold and spreading into England and Wales

Pine martens are among the most elusive of all our woodland wildlife by virtue of being largely nocturnal, super-stealthy, tree-climbing ninjas.

And yet sightings of these handsome mammals are on the up – and in quite a big way.

Partly, this is down to the popularity of putting out food to attract martens to gardens and holiday accommodation in the Scottish Highlands.

Another key factor is the use of remote cameras that are capturing footage of the martens as they spread south from their Scottish stronghold into England and Wales, helped by a mixture of official reintroduction schemes and (widespread but currently illegal) unofficial releases.

Pine marten kits caught on camera in Devon, England, 2025 – a historic milestone for the county’s wildlife. Credit: Devon Wildlife Trust

July happens to be a busy month for pine martens. It’s their breeding season, when these normally solitary animals briefly tolerate company and seek out a mate (or sometimes several).

In addition, many females are still looking after the young produced by their previous year’s mating. The kits will have been born in the spring, so by July are three or four months old and starting to explore outside their mother’s den.

This article by Ben Hoare was first published by Discover Wildlife on 17 July 2026. Lead Image: Alphotographic/Getty Images.

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