Rare pine marten spotted in back garden

A rare pine marten has been spotted in a back garden in Worthing – the first of its kind to have been seen in East or West Sussex for more than 100 years.

The creature, which is critically endangered in England and Wales, was seen among the flower beds of surprised homeowner Andrew on Sunday.

He took a couple of photographs, calling the brief encounter "magical and completely unexpected".

Sussex Wildlife Trust said that the last recorded sighting of a pine marten in the region had been in the village of Woolbeding in 1923.

Speaking to BBC Radio Sussex, Andrew added: "I was having my morning coffee when I saw something but wasn't exactly sure what it was.

"It was just sitting there on the path minding its own business and enjoying the sunshine."

He said that he often had foxes and squirrels in his back garden, adding: "But it was the first time for anything as unusual as this.

"It was there long enough for me to grab my phone and take a few photos, but then it scurried away.

"It seemed fairly confident, which made me wonder if it has been exposed to humans before."

Andrew said that he reported the sighting to the trust, which confirmed it was a pine marten from its distinctive cream-coloured "bib-shaped" chest marking.

Dr Louisa Mamalis, the trust's monitoring and evidence manager, explained that the native species, which are related to weasels, were once common but declined during the 18th and 19th Century due to hunting and the loss of vital woodland habitats.

"They're also really slow breeders, which makes this a really beautiful and special thing to see," she said.

Mamalis added that the trust was one of several conservation groups involved in the South East Pine Marten Restoration Project, which is assessing whether the mammals could survive and thrive if reintroduced to Sussex.

"There's plenty of potential there, but maybe this little one has already beaten us to it," she said.

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