Resurgent pine martens could be good news for red squirrels

Description

A pine marten has been spotted in England recently, the first in more than 100 years. The reemergence of Britain’s second-rarest mammal, a cat-sized relative of badgers and weasels, is a great story in itself. But it may have another upside, as pine martens could be bad news for one of the UK’s least popular animals: the invasive grey squirrel.

Unlike pine martens, grey squirrels are not native to Britain. These North American “aliens” were first introduced in the 1870s and soon made themselves at home. In the UK they are considered an invasive species – their “bark-stripping” harms the growth of new woodlands and has a big economic cost.