Jan Coman, of the Devon Wildlife Trust, said: “Increasing evidence from Wales and Ireland suggests that the presence of martens in a landscape can put population-level stress and pressure on squirrel populations, narrowing their ranges and reducing their effectiveness of control. feeding and reproduction.
“So pine martens are not a silver bullet, but they will be an important aspect of controlling gray squirrel numbers in the future; this could lead to the potential for reintroductions of native red squirrels in the Southwest, where this species has become widespread.” lost”.
Sarah Bryan, chief executive of the Exmoor National Park Authority, said: “The next step will be talking to local people and those who have direct experience with martens to determine if reintroduction is appropriate for Exmoor and, if so, How can we work together? to design a successful reintroduction program.