Ardnamurchan, Scotland-native Les Humphreys recently shared an amusing clip on Facebook that shows two pine martens, a small mammal native around Europe, visiting his backyard at night and having rounds on kids’ swing set.
The video shows one pine marten rocking itself on a flat outdoor swing while the other one climbs the ropes. Soon, they both try to enjoy the flat swing before getting into a playful argument.
Humphreys initially shared the clip on Ardnamurchan Wildlife Watch Facebook Group before it was later picked up by the Mammal Society, an organization focused on protecting and restoring the British mammal population. According to Humphreys, pine martens playing on the swing set is a “nightly occurrence” in his garden.
“Pine martens are one of the rarest native mammals in Britain,” the Mammal Society wrote in the caption of the video. “These native carnivores were among Britain’s most common mammals but were pushed to the brink of extinction in the face of hunting and the loss of their woodland homes over the past two centuries.”
Pine marten, which is considered the national animal of Croatia, is native to Europe, but it is also found in parts of Asia, including Turkey, Iran, and Iraq. They mostly live in woodland areas and are known for their agility as well as excellent senses of sight, smell, and hearing. A pine marten has a life span of up to 11 years in the wild and up to 18 years in captivity.
