ONE of Britain’s rarest species have their latest newcomers, after pine marten kits were born near Aberystwyth in the Rheidol Valley.

The pine marten carries the title of Britain’s second rarest carnivore after the wildcat, and conservationists have called the births “a very significant moment in the conservation of this native mammal".

At least three of the 10 female pine martens brought to mid Wales from Scotland last autumn by The Vincent Wildlife Trust have given birth.

Staff from the Trust’s Pine Marten Recovery Project placed remote cameras at a number of sites where they believed female martens were preparing to have young.

Further investigation has confirmed a total of at least five kits.

Natalie Buttriss the Trust’s CEO said she was “absolutely delighted".

“We have been waiting with bated breath for months to see if breeding would be successful,” she added.

Sarah Bird, Biodiversity Officer, said: “This is such amazing news, and makes all the hard work by the VWT team and partners worthwhile.”

See next week’s south editions for the full story