He enjoys climbing and watching the trees sway in the wind and the birds fly by, making the name ‘Forest’ a perfect fit for Northwest Trek’s newest animal, an American marten. Martens are omnivores, members of the weasel family and live in forests in Washington, Alaska, northern New England, the Great Lakes region, Canada, and the Rocky Mountain and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges.
Staff at Northwest Trek are honored to give Forest a home, after he was rescued and survived a challenging past. Visitors will notice that Forest’s tail is missing, as result of an incident before he was rescued. When Forest was first rescued, he was severely underweight. Now, he’s a healthy and seemingly happy marten, full of energy.
“He fits right in here at Northwest Trek,” said keeper Wendi. “He is very curious and comfortable in his new space and we’re all excited he’s here.”
It’s been over 20 years since Northwest Trek had a marten, and visitors are in for a treat. With his long, furry body, big brown eyes and sharp claws, Forest will be sure to capture everyone’s attention.
“He is incredibly agile,” said Wendi. “He can often be seen loping and jumping around his habitat, and likes to put his head in the water for fun.”
Martens are excellent climbers. If guests don’t see Forest on the ground, look for him in the upper areas of his habitat or his dens.
Wendi said Forest gets so excited for mealtime, he will even do zoomies for his food. His meals include ground meat, fish, mice, apples, yams, carrots, blueberries, peanut butter and dry cat food.
