Nature Features

Rare polecats have been spotted at the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust’s (BBOWT) College Lake Nature Reserve near Tring in Buckinghamshire.

One lone polecat was first seen poking its head out of its burrow at the beginning of May, but to the delight of everyone on site, it appears that the population has expanded and baby polecat kits have now been seen!  This is the first confirmed record of breeding polecats in Bucks.   

Nancy Reed, the Warden at College Lake, said: "I first spotted the mother polecat late one evening whilst working on the nature reserve. I was pretty excited as polecats are are now very rare because they were once severely persecuted across Britain.

"Then, a few days ago, four baby polecats were spotted from our 'Window in the Woods' hide – so we now have a whole family on the reserve!  They can be easily spotted by visitors as they come quite close to the hide in daylight, which is unusual for this nocturnal mammal. We think that as they get older, they'll get more cautious and will be less easy to spot.  If people would like to see them, it's best to sit quietly and patiently in the hide and not disturb the burrow or wander off the paths.

Polecats are now very rare in Britain

Although we were worried about the possibility of them being polecat-ferret crosses, the mother and kits have all the classical features of polecats and we can say with as much confidence as possible that they are the genuine article! Expert mammal recorders have helped us to identify the animals. They have also confirmed that this is the first record of breeding polecats for Bucks – and it’s at College Lake which is fantastic news for the Wildlife Trust!"

Polecats – the night time stars of this years’ BBC Springwatch – have long, brown cylindrical bodies, and blunt faces with very recognisable white and brown markings around their eyes, making them look like bandits. Numbers seriously declined in the early 20th century, reaching their lowest ebb in the 1950s. They were considered to be a pest of game and poultry and were persecuted.

Threats continue today with accidental trappings, road deaths and cross-breeding with escaped ferrets which have much paler coats. However, polecats have been undergoing a recent recovery and can be found in rural Wales and parts of England including Cheshire, Avon and Leicestershire.

Polecats set up home in wooded habitats, along riverbanks or even in farm buildings, so the woodland area at College Lake Nature Reserve is a perfect spot. Once a former chalk quarry, College Lake has been transformed by the hard work of staff and volunteers into a thriving wildlife haven supporting over 1,000 species including many wading and migrating birds. There’s lots to do on site, with wildlife walks around the lake, marsh and woodlands, and hides from which to watch wildlife. There are also wetland and geology discovery centres.

BBOWT’s College Lake Nature Reserve is open every day except Mondays, 10am-5pm, with late opening Thursday until 8pm.

For more information visit the BBOWT website: