PRESS RELEASE

14 September 2006
Polecats recolonise in Cheshire

After almost facing extinction in Britain in the early 1900’s the polecat has recently staged a welcome comeback, and Cheshire Wildlife Trust is asking the public to help in gathering more information about numbers throughout the region. The polecat is a member of the weasel family, which includes the badger and otter. With a long and slender body and a bushy tail they are easily recognisable by their pretty black and white face.

Throughout history polecats have been a much misunderstood creature. Even back in medieval times they were unpopular and often persecuted because of the foul smell they emit as a defence mechanism. Then, with the rise of the game-keepers in the late 1800s the polecat was almost wiped out, with numbers dropping to only a handful.

Those that survived hung on in a small mountainous area of Wales. Since the First World War, when many gamekeepers left to join the forces, numbers have slowly started to increase. Polecats have moved back into parts of England and they have been reintroduced in other areas, although the population in Cheshire is likely to have developed from natural colonists in the West.

The return of this native species also signals a change in the natural world. There is evidence that increased numbers of polecats and otters have both contributed to declining numbers of American mink. However, the future of the polecat is by no means secure, which is why it is vital that Cheshire Wildlife Trust gathers information on this elusive creature.

Although the days of systematic persecution have now passed the polecat today still faces a number of threats. Many polecats are involved in road accidents and unfortunately this is often where the majority of sightings are made. Further modern day perils include rat poisons, which can cause secondary poisoning, though an accumulation of toxins in the food chain.

Sue Tatman, Conservation Officer at Cheshire Wildlife Trust, says “The information provided to us by the public is invaluable in building up an accurate picture of the distribution of polecats throughout the region. The news of the polecat re-emergence into Cheshire has in fact come from a great number of sightings made by members of the Trust throughout the county, including Middlewich, Macclesfield and Wilmslow.”

Polecats can be identified by the white tips on their ears and a distinctive white patch around the muzzle on their face, which looks rather like a bandit mask. The rest of their long thin bodies are black with short legs and a bushy tail and they are about the size of a cat. If you think you have seen a polecat please contact Sue Tatman at Cheshire Wildlife Trust on 01270 610180 or email

Some interesting facts….

• The name polecat comes from the French poule - chat meaning “chicken cat” due to its reputation as a killer of poultry
• In Shakespearian times the term “polecat” was used to indicate vagabonds and prostitutes
• Polecats are now protected under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1987

Ends