A PROGRESS report on the return of pine martens to Exmoor will be given during an evening with Devon Wildlife Trust field officer Ali North on Friday (March 6).

Ms North will be speaking at a free event in Withycombe Memorial Hall from 7 pm to 8.30 pm about the ecology of the elusive animal, its recent reintroduction, and the importance of pine martens to the UK’s woodland ecosystems.

The species reintroduction is being managed by the Two Moors Pine Marten Project, which aims to restore healthy populations of pine martens to the Westcountry after an absence of more than 150 years.

The project released 19 pine martens on Exmoor last September in secret locations owned by the National Trust and Exmoor National Park Authority.