Remember This When It Comes To "Introduced Species"

 I am always reminded of the porcupines that were living quite happily in Devon (possibly Cornwall) for a few decades. They carried on living and breeding and then the "Forteans" and "Cryptozoologists" kept publicising their presence despite KNOWING what that meant would happen.

One day someone asked me what happened to the porcupines? I explained that Forteans and Cryptozoologists had publicised them to the point that, with at least two MAFF/DEFRA consultants spying on what was going on, that action was taken.

They were "eradicated". Killed by some shooter who was paid a lot of money to have some fun.

Forteans and cryptozoologists have done this so often that not just the authorities who have a policy to kill and not study as well as people who think it 'fun' to go out shooting things took their toll. It is one reason why I hate the two fringe crackpot groups (one trying to claim to be 'scientific').

Since 1977 I have studied "exotics" in the UK. I have looked at their history in the wild going back to the Middle Ages and here is what I learnt: they tend to fill in niches left after British animals were wiped out through 'sport' (hunting).

Here is a point to consider: we know certain large cats are in the UK countryside and have been going back several centuries. We know other animals have been out in the countryside for 200-300 years and yet there is no mass extinction of native or out of control spreading of disease and there has been no negative effect on the environment.

Who destroyed vast forests and woodland so that they could hunt certain animals and wipe them out. Destroying the natural environment and then decided to wipe out British Old foxes,m wolves, deer, beavers, otters, wild cats and MANY other species. Who introduced the blight of mange to the UK and other diseases?

Humans.

Even now animals are on the verge of extinction (hedgehogs) and protected species such as badgers are culled for questionable science.

When it comes to harming the environment, spreading disease and killing off British species....

Introduced species...... 0%

Humans.......................100%

Remember that.

"I have the clearest photo of a UK big cat!"

If you go to the EAR Face Book page you may see a comment I made regarding alleged "big cat" photographs from the UK.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/372804871017547 

In over 46 years of looking at "exotics" in the UK the biggest pain has been alleged photos of "big cats". I have been sent photos of a lioness crossing a road (actually in a wildlife park not near a village); a puma photographed looking down on a town from hills (taken at night as it hid the fact that a stuffed toy was used) and the number of "Blob cats" where an image is so blurry, taken from a distance and enlarged so much that the pixels break up I can count in the twenties.

What I always ignore are the claims of "I don't think it's anywhere as good as my photo" when someone posts their photo. "Can we see your photo?" response: "No" and if you question them on why they bother telling you they have "the best" cat photo if they are not going to share it as evidence you always get the "It's because of rudeness like this that I don't publish!" End of story.

Whether these are people just looking for attention or people who do it because it gives them a kick I have no idea. I do not care. They get labelled as potential hoaxers. Why would yo0u not want to have your photo (even privately) verified as being genuine and of an "exotic" cat species?

The response they give actually is meant to deflect from them. Suddenly YOU are the rude person (I am never rude to a potential observer) and all the bad vibes are on you and others are meant to think "He's screwed it up for all of us" while "the poor woman/man was only telling us they had a good photo!" It's how the con works -reflected guilt.

I also get the "A friend of mine who doesn't want to be named has a great, clear photo of a *take your pick) puma/panther/lynx" and when you ask them if they can ask their friend to share it, even privately, there are always excuses. I make it very clear that this type of report is ignored as "someone says someone nameless has a photo" is pure bunk and =never counts as evidence so will not even be logged.

Just checking and since 1977 I have had 25 claims of having "a perfectly clear photo" of a puma or panther. Not one single person claiming this has ever produced the photo in the last 40 years.  Conclusion: hoax

Was It A Panther?

 According to the Worcester News headline:  'Black panther' spotted by walker who is so worried he calls 999

HAS Worcestershire's Black Panther long claimed to be in the wilds of our county shown itself again?

That's the question now being asked after a walker became the latest to claim he had spotted the Pershore Panther.

Jason Neville told the BBC how he saw it on Boxing Day while walking on wetlands in Pershore and was so concerned he called the police.

Mr Neville said: "It just came out of the reeds up ahead and started walking towards us.

"That's when the dog went absolutely bananas.

"It stopped as the dog was barking and it then turned around.

"The pathway is maybe 7ft - 8ft wide and as it turned it virtually covered the entire pathway.

"It was very close, there was no mistaking that it was a big cat.

"Originally when I first saw it I thought it was a dog.

"But I was that close, you couldn't be mistaken."

Mr Neville said the sighting, at 8.45am, had not put him off walking in the area again but said he certainly would not take his dog off the lead.

Mr Neville said he had also seen what were the remains of a "huge" carcass which he thought was probably a goose, on the back pitch of Pershore Town football pitch.

"It has no innards, so it had been eaten in its entirety, just the wings left.

"A fox was trying to drag the carcass off, but it couldn't drag it.

"It was too big.

"I didn't put two-and-two together until a week later until I saw the Pershore panther."

Worcester News: SIGHTINGS: There have been various sightings of a panther in Worcestershire over the years - stock picture

Mr Neville said he had worried about the ridicule of going public about the sighting.

"Then I thought I'm just going to throw it out there to see if anyone else had seen it," he said.

"I'm obviously worried for other dogs and dog walkers, so people are aware there is something out there that could go off with a dog."

Mr Neville added he had not had a chance to take a picture of the panther as he had just seconds to snap it.

There have been various sightings of a panther-like animal for decades - but no conclusive proof of a black panther’s existence has ever been made known.

We reported on sightings in 2016.

And in 2017 pensioner David Wherton said he had seen a “muscular” cat-like creature while walking home from the shops.

Sadly journalists rarely educate themselves on any subject in detail as their job is to sensationalise or write "local stuff" to sell newspapers.  The leopard does vary greatly in size and markings. The average size is 50 to 90 kg (110 to 200 pounds) in weight, in length 210 cm (7 feet) which is excluding the 90-cm tail and 60 to 70 cm in shoulder height. So the length is possible if one includes the tail.  The fox unable to drag off the goose carcass is odd if it was just bones and wings. As there is avian influenza around the goose could have died from that and been scavenged on. 

I do know that there were panthers in Worcestershire and Hereford and spoke to numerous farmers up until 2015. The basic rule is do not let your dog off the lead in wooded areas if you know there have been reports. Considering the number of deer and rabbits and other wildlife a panther has to pick from confronting a dog and its owner is too much work.