A 1998 Press Item -What On Earth Is Out There?

 Reporters who get 1977 as 1997 and 1998 are not that good....and they bugger up straight forward replies you give them!

Never even spoke to the Weston and Worle New!

The British Big Cat Cover Up (that really isn't) update

 

There is one thing that does not surprise me and that is how "big cats" have become an almost fantasy hobby like UFOs or Bigfoot.  Anonymous posters come out with some absolute garbage and groups are drawn into the claims.

From 1977 until 2018 (anything after that is occasional) I was listed as the person for UK police forces to contact regarding wild living exotics in the UK -especially large cats. I saw the police photos and plaster casts and I heard back about (when it started being used) DNA test results on hair samples found.

The police at no point told me "You cannot talk about any of this!" and were quite open about reports.  The main police concern was public safety because they knew there were people out there who would love to shoot a "big cat" and there were illegal exotic groups which is why no accurate locations were ever given out -also the press loves to print outrageous "killer cat in your back yard" stories.

We had plaster casts, we had DNA, we had photographic and other expert opinions of cat kills as well as scratch posts and in some cases the areas of cats was mapped. 

Everything I did was as a naturalist and I never charged a penny as opposed to one "professional big cat hunter" who took hundreds of pounds from police forces to "track" a cat but never succeeded and his main aim was to shoot a "big cat" and get the press and TV attention -he even claimed on TV that there were "hundreds of big cats" in the UK.  He passed away in the early 2000s so he cannot respond and I will leave it at that.

My greatest embarrassment was when I refused to let newspapers call me "Britain's Big Cat Hunter" so the title "Britain's Big Cat Detective" was used over and over "after all you are looking for evidence" is how one reporter defended the title. Only one photograph of myself ever saw print and you could not see my face as I was holding up binoculars!

Repeated posts about a person from a zoo who was called in by police and worked around the country and so was privileged to see all the big cat evidence but "He was not allowed to say any more" is honestly big cat poop. The odd zoo was asked whether someone could confirm a track and that was it.

Newspapers still call me up as do radio stations and TV companies but my reticence in stepping out in public again is that journalists cannot tell a straight story. For instance:

Cambrian News 30 05 2023  More evidence Beasts of Bont could be alive and breeding? 

"British big cat expert Terry Hooper – who wrote a book on the subject released in December – told the Cambrian News: “Back in the 1990s we (myself and the police force involved) obtained hair that was identified as Panthera Pardus - leopard.  

“We also obtained evidence of puma (kills, scratch posts, scat and more) as well as lynx.  

“The current claim of DNA I cannot comment on as I have not seen the test results myself and as this is being used to promote documentary it carries no weight until confirmed.  "

Which is correct to a degree but when it veers off to "a family of big cats" it is completely wrong. Apart from when rearing young there is no "big cat family" and when you are talking about puma -no "big cat" (journalist: "But it is bigger than a domestic cat so a Big cat!" ).

Gazette and Herald  03 05 2002 Big cats may be breeding, says expert

"Terry Hooper, who runs the Bristol-based Exotic Animals Register, believes this cat could be one of a family.

A woman horserider in Highworth saw two smaller cats pass her path, which Mr Hooper believes to be the offspring of the larger cat.

He said: "They were reported not so far from another bigger cat.

"The sighting of a larger animal, probably a male, in the area, means that in a month or so, we may be hearing the patter of tiny paws."

"They have had a really good time recently there are wild rabbits, deer, and ducks and geese, so they have got plenty of food. Therefore there is no reason for them not to breed."

Note: "probably a male, in the area, means that in a month or so, we may be hearing the patter of tiny paws." I did NOT say such a bloody stupid thing!!

Then

The Observer 09 02 2003 Britain's big cats strike back

"Terry Hooper, co-ordinator of the Exotic Animal Register, which has compiled hundreds of big cat sightings since the Seventies, said: 'Politically it's become a very hot potato.'

After Cole's attack, Hooper contacted the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, offering to share his data but claims the department did not respond."

Well, I never used the phrase "a very hot potato" for a start but I suppose that my long explanation of how things worked in government agencies might have been hard to understand (I am being sarcastic there).

Yes, DEFRA did refuse to cooperate and told outright and provable lies regarding exotic cats but I clearly explained to this reporter how DEFRA created every difficulty it could to get me off the Partnership Against Wildlife Crimes roster -even ignoring two chief constables and a number of other senior policeman who backed me.  

DEFRA also at one point threatened to legally seize all of my maps and files in the name of "public safety"; I have no idea why the person said such a stupid thing and most of my information is in my head but I made it clear that any such threats would result in court action.  Now, DEFRA trying to cover up and "silence an expert witness"?  Uh...the Observer reporter never picked up on that!

Police have known about large cats (again; there is only one known member of the Big cat family in the UK and that is the panther. Pumas are not Big cats)since the 1980s, as has the Home Office and vets, farmers, some zoologists and many others. There is no cover up conspiracy. No "You must never talk about this" warnings. The only people who believe any of this seem to be on Big Cat groups and none of these has accepted my offer of looking at the best evidence they have to confirm it all and the maps they are putting together are so off its incredible.

Mind you -am I part of the cover up?

Lynx let go in Cairngorms were starving, says RZSS

This means that the cats may have been out longer than thought, were not trained in how to hunt before release and if they were released hungry to "make them go hunt in the wild" more quickly those responsible are thick as two planks in concrete. It also shows no vet was involved at any point.

The possibility that these were just dumped cats is still on the table. All  exotic animals bred in the UK and sold one should -MUST- be microchipped and those responsible as breeders or owners heavily prosecuted in these cases.

 Four lynx illegally released into the Cairngorms showed signs of starvation, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has said.

One of the wild cats died after its capture near Kingussie late last week and experts are awaiting results of a post-mortem examination.

The other three lynx are being cared for at Edinburgh Zoo.

Police Scotland is investigating the incident which saw two of the lynx caught on Thursday and two more on Friday.

RZSS said two of the cats had eaten meat left from them in traps set to capture them, but no other food while they had been on the loose.

The area around Kingussie where the four were captured is still being monitored, but the society said it was "reasonably confident" there were no more still at large.

The cats have been confirmed as Eurasian lynx, the largest of four species of the animals.

Lynx were once native to Britain but were wiped out hundreds of years ago due to habitat loss and hunting.

A number of conservation groups support a licensed reintroduction of the cats to Scotland in the near future.

The Scottish Lynx and the Lessons We Need To Learn

 

If anything the recent story of the four lynx in Scotland (see last two posts) has shown not just how stupid people have become in general when it comes to wildlife but how anti wildlife certain groups can be (or simply are).

The lynx were airlifted by helicopter ands dropped in Scotland is one theory.

Another theory is that the lynx were smuggled into the UK because "Where else could they come from?"

Then we have the "Whoever released these cats needs to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law as an example" and "This puts humans at risk of attack" and "They would devastate natural wildlife" and on and on it goes.  Now we have that one of the captured lynx died to "the method used to catch it" and even "It could be rabies!"

Firstly, although "mad dog attacks" and rabies was not a rarity in the past we have not had an outbreak of rabies in the UK or anyone dying from rabies bitten by an animal in the UK since 1925/1926. 

Baited traps were used to catch the lynx and those are non-lethal traps that close once an animal steps on the springer plate inside. No drugs were put into bait and no one accidentally overdose the cat with a tranquiliser dart .  This all shows stupidity and a lack of  knowledge on the subject that does not really surprise me.

Illegal release of the lynx has brought up assertions of illegal otter releases. The otter population is recovering in the UK as is that of the pine marten but there is no evidence of transportation and releasing of either. In many cases local otters and pine martens have been present a long time but that presence was protected by locals or naturals. The 1980s/1990s did see the release of European wild cats around the UK (which are not true breeds but hybrids) and I have a very good idea who was taking part in this. I do not believe wild cats are still being released by this group but the cats survived longer than officially released wild cats.

Transporting lynx by helicopter is such a fantasy.  You cannot just fly from A to B without a flight plan or officials knowing let alone land, release four cats (or land twice releasing each pair at different locations) then return to A.  Anyone heard of cages and vans?  The fact that these seem to be young lynx and two at each site that stuck with each other does strongly suggest captive bred cats.  

The question of age and sex will be determined by vets -as will the cause of death of the one lynx.  Wild felids just like wild canids have a high mortality rate and when it comes to these four cats we have now idea how they were kept or what they were fed and I doubt a veterinarian was involved at any point which makes any health issue an undetected problem.

"Smuggle into the UK" shows such a total lack of knowledge of what actually goes on when it comes to exotics that it is laughable.  "Where else would they come from?" gets the answer: the UK.

From when I set up the Exotic Animals Register in 1977 until the early 2000s I worked with UK police forces, the RSPCA and other organisations to keep an eye on reports of exotics on the loose in the UK, not just large cats but also reptiles, etc..  I would often phone a wildlife park or zoo about something quite innocent and get the response "None of our animals are missing -they are all accounted for" (on one occasion I got that after only phoning to enquire about visiting hours for a friend!).

We knew the rules and regulations of the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act and we knew when keepers were flouting them.  Most of all we knew that anyone selling exotics illegally would make a mistake at some point.  Then came the internet and later mobile phones. And then the DWAA was messed up officially.  It means that there is a roaring and illegal trade in selling exotics -a message on a Face Book page or online message board and "we can chat via a secure mobile app about what you want and cost" and that's it.

Porcupine, meerkats and a whole host of smaller mammals are regularly reported. "Kitchen sink breeding" in private/rented homes or other buildings takes p-lace and there are no veterinary checks along the way: you want a porcupine or skunk?  You got the cash then someone will have the porcupine or skunk you want. That includes primates that are social animals but are not even sold as a pair.

Ridiculous to think someone is breeding lynx, panthers or puma in the UK?  That was what we thought about wolves, jackals and coyotes in the UK but all the openly available historical reports, articles and more are proving otherwise.  If there is no such breeding taking place then how do you explain that one exotic rescue has primates as well as a number of lynx and has just rescued more pumas in the UK?  For every puma or lynx rescued that we know of there are probably 10 we have no knowledge of.  We do not even know how many silver foxes are being illegally bred in the UK and sold on -we just hear about the escapes and sightings.

The concern is that so many involved in "rewilding" locations such as Scotland are so anti-rewilding and that is not an exaggeration as I have been politely arguing with some very rude people over the years that push rewilding but not lynx or wolves and the same arguments: "Not enough for them to live on"/ "They will attack people" and whether wolves, wild cats or any other animals the shooters who have to kill something all ask the same question: "When are they going to release them and where?" because, as we know, killing for jollies is even better if it is a protected animal you go after.

We will await the results of the lynx necropsy and, no, they will not "cover up what cased its death" because I will be keeping an eye on things (unless I am also part of the cover up?).

One thing the four lynx have proven is that the UK is not a fit place for wildlife or "rewilding" because if cars, snares and poisons do not kill them then "for 'fun' shooters will. The people (not just the "landed gentry") killed off our Old wildlife and that should be taken as a lesson and shouted out loud: 

"You kill your native wildlife then you CANNOT have replacements!"

LYNX UPDATE

"After extensive efforts to capture these animals safely and humanely, we were very sad to discover that one of them has died overnight. We do not yet know the circumstances behind its death but will be carrying out a post-mortem to try to establish what happened.

"Whatever the case, this unfortunate development just serves to further demonstrate the folly of abandoning these amazing animals in the wild, with no preparation or real concern for their welfare. We can only imagine the stress that all four of the recovered lynx must have experienced after being thrust into an entirely new and extremely harsh environment to fend for themselves.

"The surviving member of the pair will now be heading down to Edinburgh Zoo to quarantine alongside the two lynx who were captured on Thursday."

Scottish Lynx Escapes

 When I wake up and am told two lynx have been captured in Scotland and two more are still on the loose I had to ask myself "Is it 1925 again?"

If you have read The Red Paper 2022 Felids then you will have read the full story of the 1925 lynx cats that appeared from nowhere -there were other cases- and fringe cryptozoologists have never given the full story on what exactly happened or how the big story ended.

Judging by their behaviour in the photographs these are likely releases as they stick together and did not bolt in different directions.  I ought to also point out, as reported in The Red Paper, that an anonymous group had been releasing the hybrid European wild cat around the UK since at least the 1980s and some of those appear to have survived and bred. I have my own suspicions about who took part in that little venture.   

A thing to note is how "wildlife experts" ("X" =The Unknown and "spurt" is a drip under pressure) state the lynx would not have been able to survive in the wild.  That is a pretty poor assessment that I would not go along with unless we are including idiots with guns. 

Remember that there are at least two pairs of wolf dogs that have been roaming the Highlands for a few years (reported in Red Paper Canids) and if those canids could survive then lynx certainly could and used to.

It is the knee-jerk reaction that surprises me since there has long been a debate about releasing lynx and wolves into the Highlands "where they should survive well if left unmolested" (ie: farmers and 'hunters' don't kill them. Look at the success in releasing the 'Scottish wild cats"....oh. One starved and one was killed by a car so best not.

Humans wiped out the wolves, wild cats and lynx and now think they should be introduced into areas completely changed from the "old days" and where snares, poaching and shooting as well as cars take their toll of wildlife each year (but we sweep those figures out of sight). Well, if the debate (and that is all it ever will be in wildlife backward Britain) picks up again all anyone has to do is point to the fact that "wildlife experts" stated lynx could not survive in the wild: debate ended.

If you want to have nightmares about the amount of wildlife killed in one year on UK roads here you go:  https://foxwildcatwolverineproject.blogspot.com/2022/08/how-many-animals-and-birds-killed-on-uk.html

A pair of northern lynx photographed in the Highland Wildlife Park in Kingussie, Scotland. (PA)

Police are investigating the reported sightings of two lynx in the Scottish Highlands after a pair of the cats were released and then captured earlier in the week.

They received reports the animals had been seen in the Dell of Killiehuntly area near Kingussie at about 7.10am on Friday.

Members of the public have been warned not to approach the animals, and police said they are working with specially trained personnel to capture them.

Pictures of the lynx who were captured on Thursday. (Royal Zoological Society of Scotland)

Officers said they believe the sighting was connected to the illegal release of two lynx seen in the same area on Wednesday, which were safely captured on Thursday.

Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) chief executive David Field said humane traps are being set in the area to catch the animals.

Field said: "Further traps are being baited in the area and the hope is that these animals will be safely and humanely captured before being taken to Edinburgh Zoo to join the two captured yesterday in quarantine."

One of the two Lynx, after they were successfully captured in the Cairngorms National Park. (PA)

He added: "RZSS condemns the illegal release of wild animals in the strongest possible terms and urges anyone with information on the release of these lynx to contact Police Scotland."

The lynx captured on Thursday were taken by RZSS to quarantine facilities at the Highland Wildlife Park in the Cairngorms, with the animals due to be transferred to Edinburgh Zoo, where their health and welfare will be assessed.

David Barclay, manager of the RZSS Saving Wildcats team, said that long term the creatures may be rehomed in Highland Wildlife Park, which is already home to two northern lynx named Switch and Neon.

Police said inquiries are continuing to establish the full circumstances of the sighting.

The "illegal release" of the animals into the wild has been condemned by wildlife groups, who said it is very unlikey the animals can survive.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/lynx-missing-scotland-dangerous-cat-uk-size-113127288.html

Dad on school run snaps 'massive' big cat 'size of a jaguar' in woods behind playground -or does he?

 My first thought was that this was a silly story and after a lot of consideration I decided it definitely WAS a silly story.

A dad drops his daughter at school after seeing this 'jaguar' and does not alert the school to the danger?  He goes back and watches the 'jaguar' for 5 minutes and takes a vague photograph and...does not even alert the police to the fact that there is a member of the big cat family behind the school...chasing birds in a tree.

Apologies for the language but I call bull shit.

I started looking into non native species, specifically felids in 1976 and worked with UK police forces from 1977 on. Not once has there ever -EVER- been a cat of the size or with any of the diagnostic features of a jaguar reported in the UK countryside nor in the EU. 

A 'lynx' or a 'jaguar' -what utter nonsense as those cats have absolutely no similarities and the patterning in the photo is not a lynx and definitely NOT a jaguar.

Above: exotic breed of pet cat the Bengal.

If anything it was far more likely to be a pet Bengal cat that spark off reports quite a lot. It is not n'jaguar' size.  We see these stupid reports all of the time and the question is which are deliberate hoaxes for fun or money and which are reports from people who are mistaken.

Junk reporting and very low credibility report because no one is going to drop their child off at school and not alert staff or police to there being a "big cat" near to it.

Express news https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1974021/dad-school-run-snaps-massive-big-cat-size-jaguar-woods-behind-playground

Leandro Santos peered through the trees beside the school and says he saw a patterned big cat (Image: Leandro Santos / SWNS)

A father was astounded to catch a glimpse of what he describes as a substantial 1.5m "lynx or jaguar" while on the school run with his daughter in Orpington. Leandro Santos, 37, was accompanying his seven year old near some woodland on Tuesday October 15, when an unusual yowling sound and the agitated behaviour of birds caught his attention.

The finance manager from Swanley claimed he saw the large, spotted feline lurking in the trees close to the school. After swiftly ensuring his daughter reached school safely, he returned to observe the imposing creature for about five minutes around 8.45am, noting its predatory movements among the birds.

Leandro shared his astonishment and apprehension, remarking: "I was so surprised. It was beautiful but also very scary." He went into further detail, describing its size and appearance: "It was massive - I'd say 80 centimetres off the ground. It was yellowish with black spots."

Drawing from his background, the Brazilian expat said: "I'm originally from Brazil and if I saw this there I'd say it was a jaguar. At one point it looked directly at me - that was very frightening," as reported by Kent Live. Expanding upon his encounter, he mentioned: "It was trying to get into a birds nest but they were flying at it to keep it off. Some other birds joined in and I thought it would be safest to leave," reports The Mirror.

There have been numerous reports of big cat sightings in the UK over the years. Instances include the capture of a puma in 1980. However, according to NewScientist, the UK's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs states that no credible evidence of big cats has been presented to Natural England in several decades.