Pine marten kits have been born on Exmoor for the first time in more than a century, marking a significant milestone in efforts to restore the species to south-west England. A female marten was filmed by camera traps with four kits exploring the woodland, prompting conservationists to hail the birth as strong evidence that the reintroduced animals are beginning to establish themselves in the area.

The kits are the offspring of pine martens brought in last year from Scottish Highland populations by the Two Moors Pine Marten Project, which released nine females and 10 males on Exmoor. The find follows a similar breeding success on Dartmoor, where 15 pine martens were released in 2024 and kits were filmed there a year ago. Pine martens, tree-climbing members of the weasel family, were hunted to extinction in the region over a century ago, and while project staff, aided by local volunteers monitoring cameras and den boxes, describe the breeding success as encouraging, they caution the population's recovery remains in its early, fragile stages.