One of Sussex’s “most rare native creatures” was spotted in the county for the first time in around 100 years.
A pine marten, mostly found in the north of the UK, was pictured in a garden in Worthing last month.
The last recorded sighting in Sussex was in Woolbeding, north of Chichester, in 1923.
Fran Southgate, nature recovery manager for Sussex Wildlife Trust, described it as a “highly unusual sighting” and, having contacted local animal rescue centres, believed it was a “wild animal”.
She said: “The reason for the excitement is that the nearest known breeding colony of pine marten is in the New Forest in Hampshire.
“The only verified sighting of a pine marten in the South East this year was in Surrey, and the last known record of pine marten in Sussex was nearly a century ago.”
She added that it could be “a very exciting development in the recovery of native species to Sussex”.
Pine Martens are part of the mustelid family, which makes it a close relative of other animals like weasels, stoats and badgers.
A family of black mustelids emerged from a drain and walked down the high street in a Sussex town three years ago.
Sussex Wildlife Trust has been supporting the South East Pine Marten Recovery Project for the last three years, assessing the possibility of restoring pine martens to the region.
They “play important roles which contribute to a biodiverse environment, by dispersing the seeds they eat as well as influencing small mammal populations through predation”, the trust said.
Ms Southgate added: “It goes to show how resilient wildlife can be.
“If we restore the resources, habitat networks and migration routes they need, nature can and will recover.
“The best laid plans of humans are often unknown to wildlife, and in the end, given the opportunity, species will behave instinctively and in a way that we often can’t predict.
“I can’t wait to see where the next pine marten appears.”
