| Time is running out to save the pine marten - we must act now! |
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| The pine marten was once widespread in Britain, but sadly they are now extremely rare due to centuries of persecution and the gradual disappearance of suitable habitat. This beautiful animal has been led to the brink of extinction in England and Wales and we must act now to save them. |
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| To help support this vital conservation work, Wildwood are excited to have the opportunity to take part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge. We must raise £2,500 in pledges to qualify, but we only have until Friday 30th August to reach that target! Could you or your company help by making a pledge of £100 or more today? |
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| Your pledge really will make a difference for the pine marten by helping us to unlock the vital funds needed to save these critically endangered animals. Simply click the button below to make your pledge, alternatively, if you're unable to pledge online, please call us on 01227 712111 and we will be happy to help you make a pledge. |
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| The Christmas Challenge is the UK's biggest match funding campaign, where donations are doubled, making your donation worth even more. For those who wish to support this appeal, but aren't in a position to pledge £100 or more, please don't worry you can still donate to save the pine marten during Christmas Challenge week, 3rd December – 10th December provided we raise enough in pledges to qualify! |
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| Pledges are a promise of funding and must be paid after the campaign has completed 10/12/2019 and before the deadline 17/01/2020. Pledgers must not donate during the live campaign, so make sure you pledge the full amount you wish to donate for this appeal. The minimum pledge amount is £100. Please see the full terms and conditions. |
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| Pine marten captive breeding |
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| Having a good understanding of pine marten ecology and breeding behaviour is very important for any future re-introductions. Unfortunately, pine martens are very difficult to breed in captivity, but thanks to the expertise of Wildwood’s keeper team, we are one of the most successful breeders of pine marten in Britain and with your help, we can do even more to save them. |
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| Due to the aggressive breeding behaviour of pine marten, introducing new pairs can be a worrying time for our keepers. To help ensure their safety, Wildwood’s keeper team came up with a unique solution, linking the pine marten enclosures by a series of tunnels that could be opened and closed as required, resulting in several successful births at Wildwood. |
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| Your pledge today will help us to rebuild the existing pine marten breeding enclosures, which have severely degraded over time and urgently need replacing. We will also be able to source and introduce new pine martens to those already at Wildwood, increasing the number of breeding pairs and also helping cover the high cost of their transportation and veterinary care. |
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| Restoring the balance |
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| In some areas where pine marten numbers are recovering their former range, grey squirrel numbers are decreasing, which in turn is allowing recolonisation of woodland by red squirrels. Studies have found that by reintroducing pine marten, this could provide a natural way of helping to reduce grey squirrel numbers, which could also help to restore the balance in favour of the red squirrels. |
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| Red squirrels are small and light enough to scamper to the ends of branches out of reach of hungry pine martens, but the heavier greys are slower and spend more time foraging on the woodland floor, where they are easy prey! This means by making a pledge today, you will not only help save the pine martens, you could also be helping the red squirrels too! |
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| Did you know? |
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| Pine martens are agile, cat-sized mammals, with dense, lustrous chocolate-brown fur and a distinctive creamy-yellow patch on their chest and throat. They are solitary and secretive, and are mostly nocturnal, but are often active around dawn and dusk during the summer. They are excellent climbers and spend much of their time in trees, moving quickly between branches, but they hunt on the ground. |
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| Pine marten are strong swimmers and have large territories that they mark with their droppings, often positioned in prominent places, such as the top of rocks, as a sign to other pine martens. They can leap up to four metres between tree branches and amazingly they can land on their feet, unhurt, from heights of around 20 metres! |
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| Your pledge today really will make a huge difference and together we can give the pine marten a much better chance of repopulating the British countryside. |
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| Thank you in advance for your support and if you have any questions relating to this appeal, please don't hesitate to contact us. |
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