A wildlife rehabilitation centre in Tewkesbury has received a rare pine marten kit after it was mistakenly handed in as a fox cub. The tiny mammal, one of the UK's rarest native animals, was discovered in a rubbish bin alongside two dead siblings.
The kit, weighing just 105 grams — the same as a standard chocolate bar — was brought to Vale Wildlife Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre on 21 April by a hedgehog carer. Staff initially believed it to be a fox cub but were delighted to identify it as a pine marten, the third rarest mammal in the UK.
Natalie Gould, an employee at the centre, said this is the first pine marten admitted in its 42-year history. She described the two-week-old kit as 'absolutely adorable' but 'very loud,' noting it is blind and deaf until about five weeks of age.
The baby marten is now being cared for by the centre's hand-rearing team and will remain with them until it is weaned off milk. The team will then gradually reduce contact to prevent over-bonding, allowing the animal to be released into the wild. The centre expects the kit to stay in its care until late August, when it will work with other organisations to find a suitable release site.
Pine martens, members of the Mustelidae family, are expert climbers with chocolate-brown fur and a creamy bib. Their population has declined sharply due to habitat loss and persecution, though some recovery has been seen in parts of the country.
