A wildlife rehabilitation centre in Tewkesbury received an adorable surprise when one of the UK's rarest native animals was handed into its care after being mistaken for a fox cub.
Discovery and Rescue
Vale Wildlife Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre announced this week that a baby pine marten was brought to its hospital on April 21. The tiny kit was discovered in a rubbish bin alongside two of its dead siblings, and handed in weighing just 105 grams — the same weight as a standard chocolate bar. It had been found by a hedgehog carer who initially believed it to be a fox cub, but experts at the centre were delighted to find they had been given the UK's third rarest mammal.
Care and Development
Natalie Gould, an employee at the centre, told ITV News that a pine marten had never been admitted in its 42 years, adding the baby was "absolutely adorable" but "very loud." She said the kit is just two weeks old and still entirely dependent on others for care, with most of its senses yet to develop. "His eyes and ears are still closed at the moment, he is blind and deaf, up until about 5 weeks of age. We guess he is around the two weeks mark at the moment, but sadly we don't know for certain," she said.
The kit has now been handed into the care of the centre's hand-rearing team members and is expected to remain with them until he is weaned off milk. Once he has reached that vital stage, the team will become gradually more hands-off to ensure he doesn't become overly bonded, allowing him to live as a wild animal on his eventual release.
Species Background
The centre had initially teased its followers on social media after the kit was handed in, inviting them to guess from photos what species the animal could be. They identified the "mystery kit" in a follow-up post, revealing that pine martens are "one of the UK's rarest native mammals." The animals, which are part of the Mustelidae family that includes otters, weasels, and badgers, are expert climbers and spend much of their time in forest canopies. Their chocolate-brown fur makes them near-impossible to spot on the bark of the tall trees they inhabit, although their undersides are a distinct creamy colour.
The centre warned that the animals' population is currently in massive decline "due to habitat loss and persecution," although it noted that some limited recovery is being made in some parts of the country. The baby marten, which the centre said is "a truly special admission," is likely to remain in its care until August. The social media post concluded: "For this little one unless we're incredibly lucky enough to find another kit of a similar age (which is rather unlikely, but you never know), he'll remain with us until late August. At that point, we'll work with other organisations to find a safe and suitable release site for him."
