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A team from Forestry England, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, and Wild New Forest will be studying them over the next year to find out more about how these rare creatures are living in southern England's forest, once the hunting grounds of King Henry VIII.

Pine martens, a cat sized member of the weasel family, were once widespread across the UK. Habitat loss and human activity drastically reduced their numbers, with only a small and fragmented population remaining, mostly in Northern England, Scotland and parts of Wales. They prefer well-wooded areas with plenty of cover and largely feed on small rodents, birds, insects and fruit.

The earliest sighting of a pine marten in the New Forest was made in 1993 by the New Forest Badger Group. Over the years, a series of other sightings have been recorded including video of pine martens inadvertently captured on hidden cameras set up to monitor other species.

With clear evidence that a population of pine martens has now become established in the New Forest, the survey team will be assessing the size of the population and their breeding success. They also hope to identify the different habitats and areas of the forest where they are settling.