Galloway pine martens learn to climb the hard way

Young pine martens have been learning how to climb in Galloway.

Three kits were spotted during the monitoring of an artificial den box near Newton Stewart.

Galloway Forest Park has installed 100 boxes in an attempt to improve breeding success in the area.

Environment forester Gareth Ventress said: "The next few days were like a slapstick comedy show with a series of falling kits followed by the mother dragging them back up the tree and unceremoniously shoving them back into the entrance."

He said that eventually their mother had "had enough of the fun and games" and moved each of the kits to a lower nursery den so they could learn to climb more easily.