How Do You Contact Me and What Groups Are There?

Face Book pages for those interested. 

 Fox  Wildcat & Wolverine Group (ALL messaging confidential)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/415064292839013

Exotic Animals Register (ALL messaging confidential)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/333424654278541

Wildcats, Wolverines...What's Going On?

 With the "Hooper Cat" paper (preliminary paper title) set to be published in 2021 I began to look at what work had been carried out on UK wild cats/ferals.  The "Hooper Cat" is, obviously, part of that work but it seems that everything went quiet after 2000.

Yes, I have no doubt that cat charities catcxhing, neutering and re-releasing (or trying to re-home) feral domestic cats can provide a great deal of preliminary data. however, what of the species looking for all the world like European wildcats (Felis silvestris) reported from around the UK?  For cats in Scotland I would be very shocked to learn that no one was observing and study the Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris syn. Felis silvestris grampia).

However, England and Wales appears to be full of people only interested in 'big cats' -only one of the Big cat species is reported in the UK the others are Medium and Small Size.

I have to say that the same applies to wolverine (Gulo gulo). My 2000 report appears to have been the lat period in which interest was piqued.  Of course, it has not helped that two very valuable local obervers/reporters have died in the intervening years.

One thing I did find a few years ago was the owner of a certain farm (taken over from his father) in Wales where there were sightings, etc., of established wolverines has denied there ever having been any such thing. I queried this locally and was called a "dafty" not for my beliuef in wolverine in Wales but for thinking that at a time when a farm(s) were being sold off locally the prospective owner would be happy to hear that they will also inherit wolverines on their property. "We don't want idiots with guns coming in here hunting them!" was the other response.

You see, I have the game cams and time but covid19 really ha no appreciation of a naturalists work!

If anyone reading this has any report or even photograph please get in touch and all communications are 100% guaranteed confidential.

Terry

blacktowercg@hotmail.com

or message me via face book

UK Wallabies

 Wallabies established colonies around the UK long ago. They were on the loose back in the 18th century and they were "garden pets" for a long time -you could buy them through the old Exchange & Mart publication.

A few years back I evev had a lady who had one regularly visit her garden and wanted advice on food to put out as it posibly had a young one.

Leave them alone and they'll get on with their lives and you can get on with yours. Ignore the 'experts'[ who tell you they are dangerous -thy are NOT experts and probably out for shooting 'fun'.

Black Foxes and White Foxes...oh, and Blue ones

 Looking at the Index cards for the Ashton Vale Wildlife Group (AVWG) which dealt with the non exotic animal stuff I found the following:

Back in 1999 I, and people from the University of Wales, Camarthen, were in touch with locals over cat reports and we found out that an area in Mid Glamorgan had a strong population of "Blue foxes" (Silver foxes). These had apparently been brought over from Europe to fight terriers. Some of the foxes escaped. A local forester confirmed this only after I prtoved that I knew the area involved, etc and was not just digging for info.

Paul Garner, a biologist who worked with the EAR noted an albinistic fox in an area of Cambridgeshire in 1999.

1997-1999 melanistic foxes were seen in Devon. One taxi driver who only did night shifts and was a keen naturalist saw them on several; occasions.

Forgot most of this but I think it is in Red Paper.

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Britain's Big Cat Mystery (Official Trailer)

My problem with this is that it all appears to have gone "Finding Bigfoot" with a "team" and when this clip was forwarded to me by someone whoi retired from UK non native cat research he asked "Why aren't you involved -did you refuse again?"



You see, I was the UK police forces exotic anmal on-call expert (not the only one but the one specialising in Felids and Canids) when it came to identifying tracks, live stock and wild life carcasses suspected of having been predated and so on from 1977-2013 (officially). I have contributed to technical papers on non native cats for seminars and have worked with several professors from universities who were looking into the non native cat issue -no one who is serious uses t6he term "British Big Cat". Because I still get calls from police and observers my telephgone numjber has not changed since 1983. I am also easily found online.



I wrote the Red Paper: Felids on the subject and although I tried as much as I could to avoid it, I did appear in at least two documentaries, TV reports and magazines as an "expert" -a term I never use since there really is no such thing as can expert on this, kinowledgeable yes. I also featured regularly on radio programmes from Scotland to Wales, England, Australia and so on.  Also, you have to add to that the stack of news clippings from all over the country -local, regional and national in which I was asked about non native cats.



My ego is not bruised, incidentally, since it is something I lack. My question is that if this is a serious documentary why would the makers pull in people who, to be honest, were probably not born when I started doing this?



Luckily, I do not watch (or have a) television so I am not tempted to watch.  My bet is that this is going to become the next subject that sinks and gets lost in a mire of showmanship and unfactual entertainment.

The University Exotic Cat Project -Proof

Last Friday (3rd July) I had a phone call from a stringer for a London newspaper. He told that he had been told by someone (I know who) that I had worked on or cooperated with the University of Wales Swansea and its Exotic Cat Project. As I knew he had seen a posting of mine I confirmed thios but pointed out that any correspondence and conversations relating to the ECP were confidential.

"That's the problem though. isn't it?"

It was said in a way that vaguely hid his meaning. So I asked him outright why he was phoning. Apparently he thought the idea of an article with information of the conclusions of the project would make a good story, as did the editor he talked to. I asked why he was phoning me then. "Well, according to the university there was no such project and I've talked to people (he neversaid whom) who say it is all made up.

My response was to tell him that I had no interest talking to a hack who did not check facts before calling me a liar. I then put the phone down.

The problem is this; the Exotic Cat Project started when a professor at the university found a pony that bore the signs of a large cat attack. The professor contacted Bristol Zoological Gardens who suggested (after checking with me) that she contact me. 

It is a long story but eventually the ECP was set up to study and investigate reports using  scientific methodology. I was able to supply a lot of data (double checked by the ECP) and even loaned some rare and expensive books along with irreplaceable note books.  We spoke by phone several times a week and exchanged letters/data almost weekly.

One evening I telephoned to talk to the professor, whose daughter answered and in the background I heard very clearly "tell him I'm not here" -a message the daughter passed on rather awkwardly. After that all attempts at contact were ignored.

The other member of the ECP, who apparently had a sighting of a non native cat while doing Project field work, vanished.  I never got my books or notes back.  This was the third time academics who claimed to be above board and abide by professional guide lines did this.  In this instance I had spent far more time and energy (and money) to help.

I was told by a former Swansea student that the talk was that the ECP had been told to stop due to either "official pressure" or because it was coming up with irrefutable evidence and that might cause university funding problems.

For me this reporter was the final straw. I cannot and have never breached confidentiality in over 40 years so showing correspondence is ruled out.  However there are technical maps some of which were shown at the Eastern Cougar Conference years ago. 

I apologise for the photos (these maps will not fit onto my A3 scanner) but the point is proof rather than dazzling photos.

Each map carries the university name and map creator.

If the University had simply been honest and said there had been a Project but that was in 2003 no problem. However, repeatedly telling people the ECP never existed is calling me a liar and I will not tolerate that.

My sister drew my attention to this item. In the past the Westmoreland Gazette used to contact me regularly regarding 'big cat' sightings (the caracal is not, incidentally, a member of the Big Cat family).

The photographs are nice.  However, there are problems that void any claim at identification.  Thios could be anyones cat or even a feral cat.

1) You cannot see the ears therefore the tufts -a good identifier- are missing.

2) The photo is not clear enough to see facial markings which are another good identifier

3) No good shot of the tail -another good identifier

We have here a photograph of a cat and, yes, it looks impressive until you check all the points.  If the account is true -I have never met or talked to the person so I have no idea re credibility- then the fact that they suddenly saw the cat  and were shocked might be worth taking into account.

It is unquestionably a genuine photograph -in that all photographs are genuine independent of what they purport to show. In this case I have seen similar shots taken of cats in zoo or wildlife park enclosures and passed on a cats in the countryside.

Some reports state the witness threw down some chicken sandwiches before leaving the site. With people that is possible after all the UK countryside only has foxes, rats, mice, voles, millions of rabbits and millions of deer as well as wildfowl and other birds. Poor thing must have been 'starving'.

I have maps, as well as reports from most parts of the UK that show cat territories -which type of cat, which areas they frequent most and so on.  For Cumbria I have a good data base. It is never shared for two reasons: the first to prevent fraudulent claims and the second to stop hunters.  I understand Ms Larkin-Snowden's stance re. the latter. However, having been doing this since 1977 I have found that there are too many hoaxers and I never register a report unless I know the location (and since 1977 I have never once let out a location -even the Scottish ones passed to me by the late Arthur Cadman).

Therefore, until we get better photos this is just classed as ABC (Another Bloody Cat).

 Above: Caracal showing the "stubby tail"
Below: Caracal displaying the eare tufts

The Westmoreland Gazette article:

Proof that big cats roam Cumbria

Emily Parsons

These photos could be proof that big cats truly roam the Cumbrian countryside.

Sharon Larkin-Snowden, from west Cumbria, posted the images in the Big Cats in Cumbria Facebook page which she runs to coordinate potential sightings.

She has long believed that big cats are living wild in the county, and these latest images have her excited.

She told the News & Star: "When I saw it, I just thought straight away 'caracal'."

A caracal is a medium-sized wild cat usually native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted ears, and long canine teeth.

For Sharon, the clarity of the images got her excited.

"This has to be some of the best photographic evidence to-date," she said. "It may not be our panther, but this is one of the smaller big cats.

"These photos are genuine.

"I'm overwhelmed by the response I got off the photos though - I only put them on my page to show other members. I never expected it to go that far."

Not only has she been inundated with interest from the national media, but she has had more than 1,400 people requesting to join the Facebook group.

Unfortunately, a rise in trolls leaving hateful messages and criticising her beliefs has prevented Sharon from accepting any new members.

As for the latest sighting, she has promised the woman who took the photos to reveal its location only as Cumbria, to prevent the creature being hunted and killed.

The photographer has since returned to take photographs with a tape measure, to try and help provide an accurate size of the feline.

Sharon said it is not the only sighting of a large cat in the county recently, and she is looking into several reports of panthers.