Resources

The polecat is the ancestor of the domestic ferret but exactly where and when ferrets were domesticated is still uncertain. Given their close relationship, it is not surprising that it may be very difficult to distinguish them 
in the field. The only reliable ways of telling polecats and ferrets apart is from close examination of the pelage and skull of a specimen and analysis of mitochondrial DNA. This leaflet gives the key distinguishing characters, identified by Birks and Kitchener (1999), that separate polecats, ferrets and their hybrids. The images are mainly skins supplied by the National Museums of Scotland.

The aim of this document is to set out a strategic, long-term recovery plan for pine martens in Britain. It follows on from a previous strategy produced in 2011 (Jordan, 2011), which outlined the practical work and research needed to restore and secure the future of pine marten populations in England and Wales up until 2020. We present a summary of what has been achieved so far and set out a continuing recovery plan for pine martens across Britain that maintains this strategic approach, while emphasising the importance of conserving recovering populations in Scotland.

Since 2015, VWT has been involved in pine marten translocations from Scotland for population restoration in Wales and, more recently, Gloucestershire. A primary consideration in these translocations has been to minimise the potential for negative impacts on recovering donor populations in Scotland. To this end, surveys and monitoring have been carried out to collect further data to inform the way in which current and future sustainable harvesting models are applied. Based on precautionary principles, VWT adopted a highly conservative approach to trapping and removals in the first instance. Data on indices of marten activity at donor sites to date suggest that this has proved effective, and population estimates derived from genetic analysis of non-invasively collected samples support the suggestion that only a relatively small proportion of resident animals have been removed. However, the sampling strategy could be improved to refine population estimates further and better inform the way in which donor populations are managed and conserved in the face of higher demand from other organisations in future.

This report presents the results of a modelling study funded by National Parks and Wildlife Service during 2020. The study investigates the gaps in the distribution of the lesser horseshoe bat in Ireland over its entire range, incorporating datasets on land cover, roads, linear habitat features and density of artificial lighting, to produce a baseline map of potential ecological corridors to connect lesser horseshoe bat sub-populations.

The 2019 All-Ireland Squirrel and Pine Marten Survey was published in June 2020 and was made possible by members of the public who submitted their sightings of red and grey squirrels and pine martens across the island of Ireland during 2019. The project was led by NUI Galway in partnership with VWT, Ulster Wildlife, the National Biodiversity Data Centre and the Centre for Environmental Data and Recording in Northern Ireland. It was funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

This report constitutes a preliminary assessment of the biological feasibility of reintroducing the European wildcat to regions of England and Wales. This was done by modelling and mapping potentially suitable wildcat habitat across England and Wales in the first instance, and by identifying the range of potential risk factors that may negatively impact a wildcat reintroduction.