Conservationists are celebrating the first births of pine martens in a pioneering re-introduction project which has seen the species returned to Devon after a 100-year absence.

Fifteen pine martens, including eight females and seven males, were released at undisclosed Dartmoor locations in autumn 2024.

Now camera trap footage has revealed the first glimpses of kits, recorded at a secret site in June this year. They are among the first to be born wild in Devon for more than a century

Two films show the youngsters as they explore their new home. In one clip three kitscan be seen in a Dartmoor woodland chasing each other through foliage and up a bank before disappearing from sight.

A second film shows the same mother with two kits as they scamper along a fallen tree close to a fast-running Dartmoor stream.

Tracey Hamston from the Devon leads the Two Moors Pine Marten Project.

“When our volunteers discovered the footage of pine marten kits on one of our trail cameras we were ecstatic,” she said

“This is a historic moment for the return of a native animal and for the future of the South West’s woodlands. To have breeding pine martens back after a century’s absence signals a positive step in nature’s recovery. It’s also testament to the many hours work undertaken by the project partnership and dozens of local volunteers.”

The animals have been brought back to the region thanks to the work of the Two Moors Pine Marten Project which is a partnership of seven organisations including Dartmoor National Park Authority, Devon Wildlife Trust, Exmoor National Park Authority, Forestry England, National Trust, Somerset Wildlife Trust and Woodland Trust.

The project has been made possible with the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund thanks to National Lottery players, and with the expert help of the Vincent Wildlife Trust.

Kerry White, Dartmoor National Park Authority Ecologist, said: “Dartmoor National Park Authority is thrilled to have been involved in such a pioneering project, which has brought together multiple organisations to help return pine martens to the South West.

“We’re delighted to see footage of the kits exploring their new environment and look forward to the positive impact their presence will have on helping to re-address ecological balance in our woodlands.”

The birth of the Dartmoor kits follows months of work by the Two Moors Pine Marten Project partnership and its dedicated local volunteers. Since their release last year the team has spent hundreds of hours tracking the movements of the 15 pine martens, installing den boxes for them, and checking camera traps to learn more about their whereabouts and behaviour.

Female pine martens usually give birth to 2 or 3 kits in spring. Youngsters spend their first 7-8 weeks hidden in their dens before emerging in early summer. They then stay with their mothers through autumn and into winter, before becoming fully independent the following spring.

The project’s experts anticipate that the South West’s population should now grow gradually over coming years.

However, the Two Moors Pine Marten Project is keen to hear from anyone who does come across one of the beautiful animals in Devon. People can get in touch with their sightings via the website www.twomoorspinemartens.org