January 1, 2024 @ 8:00 am – December 31, 2025 @ 5:00 pm
Polecats were once a common and widespread carnivorous mammals native to England, Wales and Scotland. However, by 1915 the polecat had been eradicated from most of its former British range, remaining only in a small stronghold of mid-Wales and the English borders.
Due to a combination of factors, including legal protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the population is now slowly recovering and spreading across Britain. VWT monitors its recovery using National Surveys that rely on records of polecats being submitted by members of the public (also known as citizen or community scientists). This data is vital for research into this little-known species, which leaves few field signs for study by other survey methods.
VWT’s National Polecat Survey is appealing to members of the public to record the presence of polecats, and will run from 2024 until the end of 2025. This is the only dedicated national survey for polecats and is the fourth in a series of national surveys by VWT that have taken place since the 1990s. Any sightings (dead or alive) can be reported via their website.