Polecats, a species once on the brink of extinction in England, have now returned to Suffolk. Due to historical persecution, polecats experienced a significant decline across Britain and by the early 20th century had become restricted to Wales and the Welsh borders.

A subsequent slow expansion from the 1950s was aided by limited legal protection and steadily increasing numbers of their rabbit prey, after their population crash due to myxomatosis.

When my book 'The Mammals of Suffolk' was published in 2009, there was just a single record of polecat – from west Suffolk in 2006. Their return after a hundred-year absence has sparked interest for recording them, and we now have 186 records from across the county.

There appears to be a higher density in the south, suggesting that colonisation is from that direction. The genetics of Suffolk’s polecats are somewhat intermixed with domesticated polecat ferrets; however, they are all showing wild polecat behaviours. Their return to our county is a real cause for celebration.

We currently have 186 polecat records plus 25 polecat/ferret on the database. Only 1 record in 2021, perhaps people have stopped recording as they’re no longer a novelty. 

-Martin Sanford, Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service.

Publications like The Red List for British Mammals starkly show how once common and widespread species can experience dramatic declines, such as the loss of red squirrel from Suffolk and most of England and Wales. You can help ensure the future of our mammals in Suffolk by reporting your sightings. Whether you’ve seen a stoat or a molehill, a water vole or a fox, effective conservation of Suffolk’s mammals relies heavily on knowing where they are and how numbers and ranges are changing over time. Membership of Suffolk Wildlife Trust helps us to carry out targeted conservation work for our most vulnerable species, so hopefully in the future, we will see further recoveries.

Log your sightings of mammals and their tracks and signs at Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service's Biological Recording Online: suffolkbis.org.uk/SuffolkBRO