For the first time in two years a pine marten - which is endangered in Belgium - has been spotted in the Sonian Forest on the outskirts of Brussels. The pine marten was caught on camera by the association Natuurpunt, on March 21, as it walked in the forest. This small mammal - a cousin of the more common marten - often hides in the trees during the day and sneaks out in the night to find food.
The European pine marten is an animal native to Northern Europe belonging to the mustelid family, which also includes mink, otter, badger, wolverine, and weasel.
"Two years ago, we found the corpse of a pine marten along the Avenue de Lorraine in the Brussels-Capital Region. It has been a long time since we have seen a living pine marten, " Patrick Huvenne of the Flemish Agency for Nature and Forests told Radio 2 Vlaams-Brabant.
The age and sex of this pine marten are not known at this time.
The Brussels Times