After a very long absence, pine martens have returned to the south west. During September 15 (8 adult females and 7 adult males) were released on Dartmoor. This success is the result of the work of the Two Moors Pine Marten Project after two years of planning and consultation. The project is being led by Devon Wildlife Trust and is a partnership between seven conservation organisations: Dartmoor National Park Authority, Devon Wildlife Trust, Exmoor National Park Authority, Forestry England, National Trust, Somerset Wildlife Trust and Woodland Trust. It has been supported with funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Pine martens, which are members of the weasel family, became extinct in the south west over 100 years ago. This was a result of the loss of their preferred woodland habitat. These new inhabitants were sourced from healthy populations in Scotland. All the animals were health-checked before arriving at their new homes in Devon. Arriving at night, they were housed in pens for three days, where they were fed and watered. After that, the doors were opened for the new residents to explore their surroundings, as seen in the picture.