Stone marten

Explanation

The stone marten is known to cause unpleasant surprises for many car owners. It gnaws through cables or eats away at insulation. Wildlife camera images of Tapijn also regularly show stone martens. We don’t know if they nest within Tapijn, but it’s clear that they are looking for food and that they leave scent trails. Within Tapijn, the fox is the stone marten’s biggest enemy. Yet it is clear that they use the same paths and spots.

Relationship with humans

Why we do what we do

Stone martens are synanthropes. Their preference for a stony environment and their excellent adaptability make the city a good biotope for stone martens. However, having a stone marten in the attic is no picnic. In addition to the noise, the odours that a stone marten spreads are not very pleasant. It happens regularly that stone martens are killed because of the nuisance they cause. However, this is punishable; the stone marten is legally protected in the Netherlands.
Until the Second World War, stone martens were hunted for their valuable fur.