UK Big Cat Groups and the Fear of Expert Knowledge

 While responding to a post about a deer that was found dead over at Sighted Big Cats Face Book page I made the mistake of editing the post and deleting a line which, as I was still recovering from covid bout 3, I never realised removed part of the next line. 

The point I was making is how deaths in foxes caused by cars are replicated in deer and other wildlife but, fair enough, someone pointed out that the animal in the photo was a deer not a fox. So I apologised for the mistake and not making it clear that I was comparing injuries created in RTAs.

However, I then get three responses mocking my inability to identify a fox from a deer and stating that the data gathered on foxes between 1976-2025 would be unreliable and that includes all of the 80+ post mortem results.

This is something I have noted on this group in particular where in the past I have received private messages that could be designed for no other purpose than to offend.  In fact, I think I have only ever had one positive response there and it could well be because photos/videos posted of 'big cats" and tracks have been domestic cats and dog tracks. "Big cats" rather like UFOs and the paranormal are these days a fan-thing.

Back in the 1990s we had DNA, hairs and all the evidence we needed BUT it can all still be dismissed as from an 'escapee'; where it could not be dismissed was when DEFRA moved in and made its legal threats (outlined elsewhere on this blog).

When I started in 1976 to dismiss reports there were only three other naturalists I knew involved in looking into these sightings and doing field work. Sadly they have all passed on but my question is why are people so scared that they have to mock and insult someone who was doing this work before most of them were born?   

We proved former exotics have been here for a very long time in the 1990s and some of that information was presented in The Red Paper 2022 Felids.  What are the current groups trying to prove because even a dead large cat is going to prove nothing to those who dismiss reports.