UK policy has to change as do attitudes. This is 2021 not 1821.

 Talking to farmers, game and estate keepers/wardens as well as estate owners I learnt that there a brisk trade in illegal poisons (purchased on visits to Ireland then sold on in the UK) and snares. 

As a naturalist I used to ask about local wildlife. Unfortunately I was restrained under the data protection act from reporting who told me what and even a quiet word with police led to "Their word against yours".

Buzzards that were re-introduced were shot and poisoned. No differentiation between Red or Grey squirrel was made they were "all vermin" and shot and killed as soon as sighted.  Badgers were simply killed and setts destroyed -simply because they were on farmland (NO cattle as an excuse).  "If it isn't a farm animal it gets shot" I was told repeatedly. Even a dog a few feet in front of its owner and not misbehaving if near a field was a good target. 

A fruit eating lemur that got out of its owners property was shot by a farmer because it looked at his sheep (I am not joking that is the quote).  An arctic fox seen moving along the hedge;line of a farm was shot "Looked unusual. Never seen one before".  The old tired 'urban legend' of an exotic animal shot and thrown into the river or down into a cave or even thrown into undergrowth? No joke. DEFRA killing exotics and disposing of the evidence? I have the affidavits  to prove it.  The RSPCA as an organisation knowing this and turning a blind eye or helping? Fact. I doubt most of its "civilian" staff or donors know that.

Gangs known to organise illegal exotic hunts and illegal bounties -fact. 

"A nation of animal lovers"?

Until DEFRA and HMG changes it kill policy I will never present 40+ years of evidence. Here is the weird side of things; those wardens, game keepers, estate owners and even countryside shooters -they know of and protect non native cats on their properties because these cats control rabbit, rat and even foxes.

Imagine countryside B&Bs offering stays where you are guided to areas where exotics have been known to frequent -no guarantees you will see one- so you might see an arctic fox in the UK or even a lynx? 

Biggest problem: British hobby shooters who "have to" get out at least 2-3 times a week to shoot something.  Ruining their sport all of this protection -though legal protection is not stopping fox hunt workers digging out foxes for hunts.

UK policy has to change as do attitudes.

This is 2021 not 1821.

"What did you learn about Big Cats in the UK then?"

 "What did you learn about Big Cats in the UK then?"

As I keep pointing out to people there is only one member of the Big Cat family noted in the UK -Panthera pardus. The puma is a Medium Sized cat. So I learnt not to call lynx, golden cats, pumas etc "Big".

I was not just collecting newspaper clippings and jumping into local news to pose for photos holding a pair of binoculars and be called a "big cat hunter" (in fact, reporters started calling me the "Big Cat Detective" and that was picked up by radio and TV).

What did I find out about territories? Well I found out what else lived in those areas -ducks, geese, rabbits, deer etc -that there were well travelled territories cats moved around and so on.

If you know the prey then you know where the cats will go and then move on.

In Wales a situation developed where it was possible to tell whether a certain male or female puma had killed an animal -both had distinctive ways of eating (this is how we worked out the males territory). We also worked out the female was not a good mother when it came to training her young -they were "messy killers".

The index cards covering just territories and identified cat species is an inch thick of closely typed notes.

I am a naturalist not a hobbyist.

Cards also note historical and other activity up until present. For instance, it was always thought that wolverine (Gulo gulo) did not get into the UK countryside until after the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act or when fur farms were made illegal. Along with the Swansea Uni team I found out that wolverines were also in 19th century travelling menageries -notorious for the number of escapes of all types of animals.

I should point out that the most common used cage opened both ways -inwards and outwards!

Since DEFRA once threatened to legally seize my records (they had no legal back-up on this and it was just a threat) I keep most details in my head so the index cards give good information but most is locked away in my head.

Also, I can distinguish between a jaguarundi, puma, panther and domestic cat which most people involved "in the business" cannot (not everyone is that bad!).

Oh, and I have all the maps to back-up the index cards.

So in response to the question asked; since 1977 I have learnt a LOT.

Feral & Hybrid Study Project -How YOU Can Help

 Most feral cats have small home ranges, although some are more transient and travel long distances. The home ranges of male feral cats, which are generally two or three times larger than those of female cats, are on average under 10 ha (25 acres or 0.0390625 ), but can vary from almost 300 ha (740 acres or 1.15625 square miles) to under 1 ha (2.5 acres or 12100 square yards).

When Bella (or as my neighbours whom she adopted call her "Tallulah") moved into the garden it was her territory and she would not go far and fought any cat or fox that encroached. Once settled in her house home next door she had a bigger area and will now go a couple houses further along. So she was dumped, looked after in my garden then became semi (and I mean semi) domesticated when she moved into next door's house.

Bella has caught pigeons -the ladies next door take them from her to fly another day- she will play with slow worms, kill rats and mice and if she got a chance would kill smaller birds. However, she is well fed these days!

Back in 1999 Margaret Roberts, then Chief Veterinarian for the Cats Protection League noted that feral cats are accused of killing birds and wild life but in fact, rather like city foxes, lived nearer to humans and spources of regular food put out by house holders whether for hedgehogs, foxes or even the cats themselves.

Feral cats living outside cities and towns or even in old industrial estates tend to live on mice, rats and birds though as I have observed a number of house cats eat moths, butterflies and other insects these are no doubt also on the menu. Rabbits are also going to be a food source.

Again, like the fox, feral AND domestic cats (though I have observed domestic cats within two feet of rats and have no idea what they should do!) keep down the rat and mouse populations effectively -which is why up until the 1980s most factories and some shops had resident "Ratter" or "Mouser" cats -the one at Poples Popular Pies/butchers in the 1960s also got its full of beetles and cockroaches.

Again, Roberts pointed out what is basic fact but tends to be deliberately ignored: there is a prey-predator ration. Plenty of food sources then the cats will breed well but there is an auto shut off point when prey are scarce and young could not be fed. Hence the differing territories. No rats or mice -go to the houses where food is put out.

It was noted early on in the study of non native cats that opportunities for food -it used to be when meat was discarded in bins after Christmas at one point- were taken as presented. Foxes featured on the menu in the countryside -observed.

This means that in assessing territories for feral cats and even hybrid cats (domestic-F. silvestris) has to be based on the same information asked in "big cat" reports: What is the area like -golf courses, woods or semi-urban; are there wild rabbits or wild fowl -there is a long list but it tells you whether it is likely that a large cat is living in an area or moving through. Along with cat territories I noted the researchers at Swansea University noted others and even found a golden cat "nest" area.

This means that if we have a new population of hybrid feral cats and the reports are widespread then it has to mean to total population is large. The so called "Hooper Cats" (this name was used by Police Forces Wildlife Crimes Officers) I am preparing a paper on, do appear to be wide spread but future field studies will be needed and that requires the setting up of trail cameras as well as relying on people around the country just interested in helping out.

Once the paper has been published the project will be more widely publicised but any and all help in the meantime is welcome.

Terry Hooper-Scharf

Feral & Hybrid Study Project

Vale Wildlife Group

Data Dump -The Falkland Islands Wolf...or Fox?

 Scientists solve the 320-year-old mystery of how the Falklands wolf ended up on the island: It skated across a frozen sea chasing a penguin

Experts were baffled by how the now extinct animal crossed the sea

Mystery was first recorded in 1690 - and raised again by Charles Darwin

Researchers analysed DNA from famously tame animal found by Darwin

Published: 18:13, 6 March 2013 | Updated: 18:25, 6 March 2013

 

DailyMail on Facebook

It is a mystery that has puzzled biologists - including Charles Darwin - for 320 years.

Biologists had been unable to work out how the Falklands wolf came to be the only land-based mammal on the isolated islands, which are 460km from the nearest land, Argentina.

Previous theories have suggested the wolf somehow rafted on ice or vegetation, crossed via a now-submerged land bridge or was even semi-domesticated and transported by early South American humans.

Illustration of 'Dusicyon australis', the Falklands wolf, from Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle. Researchers have now solved the mystery of how the wolf gor to the Flaklands - and say it skated across a frozen sea

THE FALKLANDS WOLF

The Falkland Islands wolf (Dusicyon australis), is also known as the warrah and occasionally as the Falkland Islands dog.

It was the only native land mammal of the Falkland Islands until it became extinct in 1876, making it the first known canid to have gone extinct in historical times.

The first recorded sighting was by Captain John Strong in 1690. He took one, but during the voyage back to Europe it became frightened by the firing of the ship's cannon and jumped overboard.

When Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1833 he found the species present on both West and East Falkland, and tame, but numbers were dwindling and he predicted that the animal would join the dodo among the extinct within 'a very few years.'

Islanders hunted it for its fur, and were also concerned it would attack sheep.

Now, University of Adelaide researchers have found the answer - and say the animals skated across a frozen sea, probably chasing a penguin or seal.

Researchers from the University’s Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD) extracted tiny pieces of tissue from the skull of a specimen collected personally by Darwin.

The 320-year-old mystery was first recorded by early British explorers in 1690 and raised again by Charles Darwin following his encounter with the famously tame species on his Beagle voyage in 1834.

The findings were published in Nature Communications today and concluded that, unlike earlier theories, the Falkland Islands wolf (Dusicyon australis) only became isolated about 16,000 years ago around the peak of the last glacial period.

'The eureka moment was finding evidence of submarine terraces off the coast of Argentina,' says study leader Professor Alan Cooper.

'They recorded the dramatically lowered sea levels during the Last Glacial Maximum (around 25-18,000 years ago).'

'At that time, there was a shallow and narrow (around 20km) strait between the islands and the mainland, allowing the Falkland Islands wolf to cross when the sea was frozen over, probably while pursuing marine prey like seals or penguins.

'Other small mammals like rats weren’t able to cross the ice.'

The team also used samples from a previously unknown specimen, which was recently re-discovered as a stuffed exhibit in the attic of Otago Museum in New Zealand.

The 'submarine terraces' that enabled the Falklands wolf to cross from Argentina during the Last Glacial Maximum (around 25-18,000 years ago). The image shows a shallow and narrow (around 20km) strait between the islands and the mainland

The yellow dots show the areas in Argentina the relatives of the Falklands Wolf were found, and the red marks its population on the island

'Previous studies used ancient DNA from museum specimens to suggest that the Falkland Islands wolf diverged genetically from its closest living relative, the South American maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) around seven million years ago,' said Associate Professor Jeremy Austin, Deputy Director of ACAD and co-lead author with Dr Julien Soubrier.

'As a result, they estimated that the wolf colonised the islands about 330,000 years ago by unknown means.

'Critically, however, these early studies hadn’t included an extinct relative from the mainland, the fox-like Dusicyon avus.

'We extracted ancient DNA from six specimens of D. avus collected across Argentina and Chile, and made comparisons with a wide group of extinct and living species in the same family.'

ACAD’s analyses showed that D. avus was the closest relative of the Falkland Islands wolf and they separated only 16,000 years ago – but the question of how the island colonisation came about remained.

The Falkland Islands wolf (Dusicyon australis), also known as the warrah and occasionally as the Falkland Islands dog.

It was the only native land mammal of the Falkland Islands until it became extinct in 1876, making it the first known canid to have become extinct in historical times

The Falklands wolf had baffled scientists, as they could not work out how it crossed from Argentina

The first recorded sighting was by Capt. John Strong in 1690.He took one, but during the voyage back to Europe it became frightened by the firing of the ship's cannon and jumped overboard.

When Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1833 he found the species present on both West and East Falkland, and tame, but number were dwindling and he predicted that the animal would join the dodo among the extinct within 'a very few years.'

Islanders hunted it for its fur, and were also concerned it would attack sheep.

 

 

Cooperate With UK Universities?

 I just received a phone call from a Professor at an English university. Not that unusual as I used to receive such calls all of the time between 1977-2014.  Ah, but the topic.

Apparently, it seems that far more academics "are looking at the question of big cats in the UK more seriously" -my first interruption and pointing out that there was only one reported member of the "Big Cat" family in the UK; the leopard. Any way, chummy continued to tell me how he had beemn in touch with researchers in Australia and far more with people in the United States asking about UK "non native cat" reports. At every point he was told that only one name sprang to mind who "knows his stuff and is not a hoaxer" and that turned out to be....oh. Me.

He had apparently read papers I had contributed to for the Eastern Cougar Conference and had tried to contact me "via your collaborator Professor Street-Perrott at Swansea -but they claimed not to have heard of you." I gave a big sigh there and told him that if he had read the ECC paper and seen the other data he knew I had worked with Swansea.

I get very bored with phone calls as I do not like chatting at the best of times so I just asked whether he could tell me what he wanted? He seemed taken aback but got to the point.

Two student assistants under his supervision wanted to take a thorough look at the "big cat" issue for dissertations, etc. and all the academic blather followed -full credit etc etc etc. "All" they needed from me was data for England. I asked him whether he was aware that I officially began looking at non-native cats in 1977? I pointed out that he clearly had no idea how many reports let alone how much work that had involved. My maps?? I asked how funding was gained for the project but it seemed to boil down to student dissertations. In fact this is how academics earn their money and grants; students do all the work and the paper is published under the academics name.

Here is the thing; In the last 20 years alone I have given information and more to students at various universities in my capacity as an historian in British comic books and artists. All promised the same credit etc. and when dissertation no. 15 was published I received no credit -as with 1-14. The official stance was that I gave my time and data for free and although I ought to expect credit there was nothing that said I had to receive credit (oh dear, rules of academia thrown out again).

Would I give my valuable time  and help out?

My response was simple: "I have found academic rules only exist for academics and I have lost valuable time, money and sources helping out with these things. No bloody way. Ever." That ended the call.

With Swansea, the student involved in the work simply quit the university and so my rare books vanished with him. "Pity. Nothing to do with us" I was told. To replace those books now would cost around £500 but luckily, though I HATE digital, I managed to get some as pdf.

Rather like with my 1973 and ongoing fox study, not one single university or college was interested and most got rid of their biology sections back in the 1970s. Now everyone is suddenly into studying foxes.

I got far more cooperation from naturalists outside the UK with my wild cat research than from the UK.

Breakthroughs with the Fox as well as the Felid studies were all my own because I had to trudge around, dig into archives and do 40 years of research. Now, some university or college wants to pay me to work with them or run studies on these subjects -here I am.

But never ever ask me to do work for free that YOU get credit for.

Paperback,

202 Pages

 A4

maps, illustrations and photographs

Price: £20.00 (excl. VAT)

Prints in 3-5 business days

http://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper-scharf/the-red-paper-canids/paperback/product-23742681.html

The Red Paper: Canids Up-dated  edition includes section on sarcoptic mange in foxes and treatment plus a list of wildlife sanctuaries and rescue centres in the UK.

By the 1700s the British fox was on the verge of extinction and about to follow the bear and wolf having been hunted for sport for centuries. The answer was to import thousands of foxes per year for sport. But foxes kept dying out so jackals were tried. Some were caught, some escaped. Even wolves and coyote were released for hunting.

The summation of over 30 years research reveals the damnable lie of "pest control" hunting but also reveals the cruelty the animals were subject to and how private menageries as well as travelling shows helped provide the British and Irish countryside with some incredible events.

WHY Red Paper II: Felids will NEVER apprear

 Some curious soul asked "What's in that box?" on seeing a photo.

This is not quite everything but are the papers, maps, etc (if you read The Red Paper: Canids you know the sort of stuff) for the second Red Paper: Felids looking at exotic or non native cats in the UK -full historical summary, sources (yes, the 1976 DWAA was a more recent release date), photos and with DNA results not to mention the scientific work carried out on certain carcasses identifying cat dentition proof beyond doubt that "They" really are out there and have been since at least the 17th century.

Of course, the official policy is that absolutely EVERY "exotic" (even if it has been a living wild and breeding species for a couple hundred years -evolution makes that a native animal) MUST be destroyed. No quibbling.

And that is a fact and I have affidavits from persons who were present when DEFRA assigned vets "euthanised" such and the local police wildlife officer was immediately informed but could do nothing.

I follow the evidence. I have proven (though I dislike the phrase) that my wild life work is as intensive as other work and as a "noted naturalist" my name has been on various papers some presented at conferences (its also gotten me a lot of cooperation from US wild life agencies).

Here is the problem: to prove the case I need to provide maps and other information that could lead to wide scale contract hunting (this happened in the 1990s) and killing of exotics.

I have always stood by these words:

"Not by word, deed or other action to cause harm to animals"

DEFRA tried every dirty trick it could to stop my work and eventually resorted to blocking me on the Partners Against Wildlife crimes roster -despite protests from two Chief Constables.

the Red Paper II: Felids will NEVER apprear until or unless the official killing policy is reversed and that is never going to happen. Ask UK Badger groups how their published maps were used when the government decided to go on further badger killing sprees -badgers that had been in an area for generations and nowhere near cattle were gassed or inhumanely killed by contractors who shot, wounded then took a few more minutes before finishing the job (there is video circling).

Before I croak every map and every single page will be incinerated.

Melanistic Foxes

 

I was always told by the established Old Boys who had been told by their established Old Boys that fox cubs are born black and they soon take on their "red coat".

By the mid 1990s I was positive that this was dogma.

I began to seriously look at black fox reports as Keith Foster in the United States had noted that it(melanism) might be an indicator of a species under pressure. But female taxi driver (a keen naturalist) spotted black foxes a few times in Devon. There were reports of black and even white foxe up on the Scottish border.

Unfortunately, many naturalist groups (such as the British Naturalist Association (f 1905) BNA) were "tea and biscuit social group and if it wasn't a pretty bird or butterfly and very good weather....their backsides were glued into armchairs. Those who were keeping an eye on foxes were NOT disclosing locations or other data (understandable in a way).

I worked out -and this is GUESSWORK- that in any given year there must be a large number of black foxes running around. I had to exclude Raccoon Dogs and even raccoons ("a weird looking fox") but I think it would take a lot of people around the UK to forward reports so that we could see if I was right or wrong.

Sadly, after a few months responses to appeals total ZERO.

I guess no money in it or celebrity status.