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.

MAFF Beast of Bodmin Report

 

Considering the evidence offered this was a very slim paper (16 pages and a lot of that were photos and a map) and was very selective in the 'evidence' it chose. It was also very badly funded and I spoke to a person (NOT identifying them in any way as it could still get them intro trouble) involved who stated that the "investigation" was mainly indoors with the exception of a few photographs taken at sighting locations.

"It was not to prove that big cats were there but assess material submitted as evidence -as deemed worthy".

It was a white wash in other words.

I was asked by someone to give evidence but was then told that as I was on the Partnership Against Wildlife Crime (PAWS) I had to abide by that contract and could not give evidence.

There were plaster casts of pawprints that were definitely large cat and a baggie with five hairs a cat left as it ran through a wire fence was dismissed as they were unable to carry out hair analysis.

Droppings that were large and very cat-like were rejected. I was told that anyone could get a friend at a zoo or wildlife park to pick up droppings or make plaster casts and even gather hair. This shows why finds need to be mapped as well as photographed (date stamp) in situ and bagged immediately.

There were a couple farmers who had recordings of large cat calls but, sadly, those, too, can be recorded at zoos or wildlife parks. Eye witness testimony was also not that accepted and the kill they chose to look at was obviously not a cat kill.

I was once asked whether I would do an independent investigation and gather evidence but I explained that no one was willing to put up money for that and I definitely could not afford to pay for the work.

Since then, still in the 1990s, we got DNA twice as well as scat from a cat and expert trackers from outside the UK and independent of the pro and anti parties involved, have found evidence.

We know the cats of various types are out there and have been for a very long time (minimum early 19th century) and they have had no negative impact on wildlife and despite many fake claims -a good few I investigated- no one has ever been harmed by a wild living large cat -they avoid people and even in cases where they were accidentally cornered they simply snarled as the person involved moved back and allowed them to escape. Today, DEFRA has any trapped large cats killed on the spot even when someone has found a wildlife park to take them.

I keep vague location records and never tell people where cats are sighted -besides a cat covers a great deal of territory as I have noted before).

They are here and new native species.

Exotic Species In The UK: You Got The Cash You Can Cut A Deal

Sriramulu Ravi Kumar. Kabini Forest  Karnataka. Country  India

 First item: Yes, cats as well as other exotic animals are killed on our roads. Wallabies or boar often are a small snippet in a locals newspaper. Muntjac deer are hardly newsworthy it seems. I have had reports from very qualified people who have seen dead wolverine as well as various large cats killed on very busy roads. The roads in question are deadly to try to stop on and do not even have breakdown pull-ins.

Asking the police they would not stop at the locations given due to "high risk of causing a road traffic incident or possible fatality".

Highways England leave these animals where they are for nature to take its course as unless they are a hazard to motorists there is no call-out. 

If you do see such an animal find the nearest turn off and look for the land at the back of the road in question as a carcass may be recoverable or photographed from there.

Second item: As previously discussed, there are plenty of black leopards, puma as well as lynx in wildlife parks/centres. These are not all zoo "excess" (breeding) stock. There are puma, etc, in wildlife rescue centres along with privates and canids as well as zebra. Where do these animals all come from?

Private and illegal; breeding. We know that as we were putting a stop to this in the 1990s but in the 2000s someone decided to undo all of that. Now, if you get on a Face Book exotic pet page you will find almost anything you want (often you'll be contacted privately if you show an interest in a specific animal) and all available via "secure mobile app"....well, sounds legit, right?

Therefore various cat types, marsupials, silver foxes, porcupines, primates, civets and other animals seen or reported out in the UK countryside or towns -it shows how unregulated exotic animal breeding and selling is.