Rare Baby Pine Marten Rescued After Being Found in Rubbish Bin
By Animals Correspondent
One of the UK’s rarest native mammals is being cared for at a wildlife rescue centre after being discovered abandoned in a rubbish bin.
The tiny pine marten kit, weighing just 105g, was taken to Vale Wildlife Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre after being found alongside two dead siblings.
Staff initially believed the animal may have been a fox cub before realising it was a pine marten — a species rarely seen in the UK.
Natalie Gould from the wildlife hospital told ITV the rescue was especially significant because the centre had never previously admitted a pine marten in its 42-year history.
She described the animal as “absolutely adorable” but also “very loud”.
The young mammal is believed to be around two weeks old and is currently being hand-reared by specialist carers until it is old enough to survive independently.
The centre said staff will gradually reduce human contact as the animal grows to give it the best possible chance of eventually returning to the wild.
Pine martens are one of Britain’s rarest native mammals and are known for their bushy tails, chocolate-brown fur and cream-coloured bibs.
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They are shy, tree-climbing animals that mostly live in woodland areas and are rarely spotted in the wild.
Once common across the UK, their numbers fell sharply due to hunting and habitat loss, although conservation efforts have helped populations slowly recover in some areas.
Wildlife experts say rescues like this could be a sign the species is slowly recovering in parts of the UK.
