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I need to make something very clear and that is that we do have large cats in the UK and the claim that DEFRA "debunked" the subject is interesting. Firstly the term "debunked" usually gets used to mean its a cover up or hanging facts to fit a picture that someone wants promoted.
During 1997 I visited DEFRA offices in Bristol and spoke to the person who was the "official spokesman" ion "UK Big Cats" and I asked if he had worked at a zoo? "Oh, no. My manager came in one day and told me I had to cover the subject and gave me the public response sheet". He added "We can call on experts though" He then opened an old map type drawer in which were plaster casts with labels "identification Lynx" and "identification pums" and as I asked questions he panicked and realised that he was not dealing with someone sent from London (this account is recorded on this blog).
Over the years 1977-2015 I had many phone conversations with MAFF, DETR and DEFRA and it was a free flowing conversation as I was also on the official Partners Against Wildlife Crime (PAWS) list as an expert. Officially, in writing, the same public statement of cat reports but no evidence of breeding. So, there were exotic cats out there. I spoke to some involved in the Beast of Exmoor Enquiry and a lot of evidence that was to be presented was not because of "minimal enquiry finances" and the evidence rejected included plaster casts of pawprints, several hair samples and at least two noted naturalists who had observed cats on several occasions. Even video footage from a wildlife park security camera that recorded a puma that had broken in then left.
DEFRA like MAFF told anyone concerned about a big cat sighting to contact local police who could assess the situation and decide whether fire arms and a search was required. Just to add that I have the Home Office letter on what the public should do if they see a large cat. Also, DEFRA has spent a lot of money employing people such as the late Quentin Rose to go out and try to shoot large cats.
Lots of money and time to waste on "nothing". Also, what about the farmers who had livestock losses and had MAFF/DEFRA inspectors go to photograph and confirm the kills and what had caused to deaths? National Farmers Union had dealings with MAFF/DEFRA on livestock losses down to large predators and DEFRA like MAFF suggested various ways of dealing with the situation. Over something that does not exist?
Why did DEFRA ask farmers to report live stock deaths caused by large predators to them and not to contact me -I was named specifically? There are incidents on record and some of them have been noted on this blog.
Again, why, when a zoo assembled a team to trap and radio collar a regularly sighted and wild born puma did MAFF make very clear threats of prosecution if we did not (1)kill or (2) put any cat caught into a zoo or wildlife park. If we released the cat with a radio collar to gather scientific data -there would be prosecutions. More legal threats over something that does not exist?
Why did the Welsh Chief Veterinary Officer discuss with me her working on livestock deaths in Wales alongside DEFRA before realising her mistake -which she confirmed to others later? Why was she working on livestock kills by "feline predator" if they do not exist?
Another question; I got to find out that cat associated kills were being grabbed quickly and I was even shown a memorandum stating the kills should be seized before I could get any evidence -local DEFRA men even told farmers this. And I found out where the carcasses were being taken. At that point, and having also got affidavits that DEFRA vets had "euthenized" a panther at one location (back up by a statement from the local Police Wildlife Officer) and puma at another DEFRA decided that unless I handed over all maps and information on exotic animals -cats and others- I was not going to be allowed on the PAWS list any longer.
I had two chief constables plus other senior police officers backing to be on the PAWS list which made it awkward for DEFRA. Therefore, my registration form was filled out incorrectly (after 20 years!) and I filled in one then another and another until I had filled in 15 registration forms and every time something else was 'wrong'. Eventually one chief constable tried to find out what was going on and told me later "Whatever you do they are not going to ever let you back on the list. They do not like the work you have done"
A bit personal and a lot of effort over looking into things that do not exist? Oddly, a known hoaxer was allowed on to the PAWS list!
All of my peers are long since dead. No one in the UK has been investigating and researching exotic animals in the UK longer than I have (since 1977) and I have contributed to technical papers and worked with many bodies over that time.
I have looked at local environments as well as flora and fauna in each area where cats have been sighted. I have a collection of photographs of sheep and horses killed by a large cat and secondary confirmation of cats being responsible from others. I have zoologists who have seen large cats close-to. Naturalists have seen then and the British Naturalist Association Hon. Sec. confirmed to me when I joined that there were known to be large cats in the UK -she and another member of the BNA committee had even seen one.
I have the photographs showing very clear (and techinically measured) bite marks in the neck of a horse plus the claw marks were the cat's claws had sunk in. Oh, yes, one 'expert' (X= The Unknown and "Spurt" is a drip under pressure) stated the wounds were due to a badger attack. Later missing foal skeletons were found and an expert in the field wrote a paper on the fact that the bones indicated a large cat had killed the foals.
All "pure fantasy" of course.
The director of London Zoo even identified large cat pawprints in the 1990s -in the press and on TV.
I am not a kooky idiot sat reading Fortean Times or watching You Tube or reading trash books to get my "big cat education". Anyone reporting a cat sighting to me gets a lot of questions asked and the local area is looked at and I have crammed document files -which DEFRA at one point threatened to legally seize from me (legally they could not). Threats over data and maps on something that "does not exist"?
I was once told by a MAFF man in the presence of a senior Member of Parliament that the reasons for denying large cats in the UK might be down to the financial costs -farmers suing over being called liars over the years and so on.
In zoology, whether you are a lowly naturalist or fully paid zoologist you go by evidence. For instance someone reports a boar in woodland. You note that down but wait until you get confirmation of a second boar or even group of boar. You hear of a sow with young that is evidence of breeding. Everything from birds to amphibians it is standard. Same with "exotics" -we know wallabies have been in the UK since the 19th century and that they have successfully bred and we've assessed that they are not having a negative environmental impact.
All of the standard rules are thrown out when it comes to large or medium sized cats. A lynx is sighted with a smaller cat near it. No. A puma is sighted by a naturalist and it was accompanied by two smaller puma cubs. No. Five people, none of whom knows any of the others report sightings of what, based on size and description, was a puma accompanied by two smaller puma cubs all within the space of a week around a certain small town. No.
"They could not live in the UK"? Well, lynx could, panthers could and so could pumas. There is enough habitat and certainly enough prey with millions of wild rabbits and millions of deer from various species (muntjac seem to be a favourite), wild fowl, rats and so on and so forth.
We are NOT talking about "hundreds" of these cats in the UK. That was something I looked at along with some university people and we realised that a national population even with breeding would be far, far lower.
If DEFRA declared that in reassessing the evidence it found there were large cats in the UK there would be an initial furore with the press but then, as with other declarations on other matters, things quieten down and the naturalist can get to work on studying the cats. No big mystery anymore and livestock kills by cats could be included on farm insurance alongside dog attack kills.
I know that people involved in "big cat" groups check out this blog. Here is my challenge to them: submit your evidence to me to be assessed and form the basis of a much larger data base that zoologists can access and study. Prove DEFRA and the debunking faction to be totally wrong. Prove you are not fantasists.
Simple.
Email me blacktowercg@hotmail.com or contact me via the EAR Face Book messenger initially. https://www.facebook.com/groups/372804871017547
Above: Puma scat -UK
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