Polecat filmed at Nottingham Trent University campus for first time

A polecat, once on the brink of extinction, has been spotted on a university's campus for the first time.

Nottingham Trent University said the creature, similar to a ferret, was caught on camera on its Brackenhurst Campus near Southwell, Nottinghamshire, in February.

The footage was recorded by a wildlife conservation student investigating badgers for her dissertation project.

Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust said it showed the value of trail cameras.

Polecats are nocturnal mammals that are part of the stoat and badger family.

They typically prey on rabbits and small rodents and were almost wiped out in Britain in the last century, as they were considered a pest.

'Great surprise'

A nationwide survey in 2016 found polecat populations were growing and they were starting to move into areas where they had not been seen for 100 years.

Bethan Maguire, who is in her final year of studying, said it was a "great surprise" to find one in Nottinghamshire.

"I was so shocked when I returned to my camera trap and saw the polecat footage.

"The fun part of camera trapping is that you never know what you will find and we got so lucky to catch a great video of this little guy by accident," she said.

Wildlife including badgers, roe deer, foxes, hares, hedgehogs, otters and weasels have been known to live on the rural campus.

Dr Richard Yarnell, associate professor in ecology at the university, said: "We had no idea they were here, so were delighted to see the footage of this species.

"We will continue to monitor our mammal populations across the Brackenhurst Campus and hope to record many more records of polecats in the future."