Wiltshire, England, has just seen the return of a critically endangered mammal: the pine marten, the Gazette and Herald reported.
The pine marten is a mustelid, like ferrets, stoats, and weasels, and has a long body with brown fur, a yellow "bib" area, and a bushy tail.
It used to live all across the United Kingdom, but a combination of habitat destruction by humans and people targeting the species itself led to this beautiful animal vanishing from all except the woods of Scotland, mostly in the Highlands. The species almost went extinct.
Now, the pine marten is legally protected because of its critically endangered status and is slowly expanding its range again. In the last few years, it has reentered the county of Wiltshire and started creeping northward.
Last year, Longleat Estate, a historical country estate that includes 4,000 acres of woodland, discovered evidence last year that the pine marten has reached its location. DNA evidence was documented, along with images from a camera trap.
Camera traps are a powerful tool for tracking wildlife populations and monitoring conservation work. They're much less intrusive than sending a person to check, so they're less likely to scare away skittish species and can be left in likely places to monitor them day and night. This helps researchers get a more accurate view of the wildlife in an area, helping them understand how best to help and protect the species at risk.
In this case, it's helping groups interested in the pine marten both track its progress and secure funding for more in-depth observation. The Wiltshire Mammal Group is part of a partnership of groups setting out to study the species and has just received funding for the project. It will set up den boxes and feeding stations with cameras to hopefully get a better look at the area's furry visitors.
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