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.

EAR on Face Book

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

Some Background

Please remember more updated news is published on the public EAR Face Book page

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

 Some people assume that the VWG only deals with local wildlife. It doesn't.

Back in 1976 I launched the British Fox Study and from that (over a year ago) emerged the Fox Deaths Project, the only one of its kind in the UK.

In 1980 I officially started looking at wildcats which led to the Wildcats, Ferals and Hybrids Study.

I also set up the Bristol Badger Group but work let it lapse until I relaunched it.

In 1977, having thought the very idea of large cats (pumas etc) were in the UK I contacted UK police forces and became an exotics animal consultant and set up the Exotic Animals Register (EAR) -again the only organisation of its type and I was the only naturalist working on this subject. Unfortunately, the evidence for large cats and other exotics led into a study that is still ongoing.

Police Forces, particularly Wildlife Crimes Officers, all received an irregular EAR Bulletin whichn updated them on reports as well as findings. A number of advisories were published over the years and these went to colleges, universities, National Farmers Union and many others. I still, amazingly, have the first sheet (cover) to the first two Bulletins.

All of this work came under the Vale Wildlife Group when I set it up and still do. Being a "noted natuiralist" (I have to laugh as that comes with no money just a lot of debt) means I have established contacts with naturalists and zoologists around the world.

So now you know.

Oh, and wildlife work takes money but never gives

Dead Exotics on UK Roads FOI Request update

 

It's the fact that I know animals not causing an obstruction will be left in situ and I have no doubt that most animals are killed on the busier roads where no one wants to stop!

So my thought is that IF an exotic was found dead only one of the road crew might take a photo. However, for public safety and other reasons I would have thought that there MUST be a procedure to contact DEFRA or Natural England. Knowing how these people work though "its dead no problem" is likelier their motto. 

I will go ahead with the appeal because this was a pretty quick response.

Dear Terry

Road Kill exotic animals on M6, M1, M4, A1, A38, A30. A66, M62 2015 to 2020

Thank you for your information request dated 12 August 2022 regarding exotic animals killed on the Strategic Road Network. We have dealt with your request under the provisions of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

You asked -

Please would you provide me with:

1. Any photographs or video footage taken by highway teams of any of the following:

(a) Puma like cats

(b) panther like cats

(c) jungle type cats

(d) any unidentified and large cats

(e) any unusual canid such as wolf, "wolf like", raccoon dog etc.

2.  Records of any of the above or other unusual "non native species"/"exotic" animals

3.   Roads of interest are the M6, M1, M4, A1, A38, A30. A66, M62

4.   Period of interest 2015 to 2020

Are exotic animals noted by name or simply recorded as "cat"? I would have thought, just in case it was an escaped pet, a large cat type would have been noted. Am I missing something on the list or is iut "just a dead animal", collected then disposed of?

We can confirm that we do not hold this information. Therefore, the information requested falls under Regulation 12(4)(a) of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 for information not held

To answer your question regarding the disposal of animals.

Compulsorily microchipping all dogs means that it should now be easier to identify dog owners. If a microchip isn’t found, but there is some form of identification containing contact details, we will do our best to inform the owner of their pet’s fatality

All other animals are disposed of.

If you are not satisfied with your response you may ask for an internal review within 40 working days of receiving the response, by replying to this email. You can learn more about the internal review process at https://nationalhighways.co.uk/media/a14hbrhu/foi_eir_complaints_process.pdf.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/ or via the address below -

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Please remember to quote reference number FOI/4063 in any future communications about this response.

Kind regards

Customer Contact Excellence

The Bush Dog of Heywood

It looks for all the world like a bush dog. The bush dog is a canine found in Central and South America. In spite of its extensive range, it is very rare in most areas except in Suriname, Guyana and Peru I doubt anyone has one of those as they are near threatened and no good as pets but until someone gets a better photo it looks like a bush dog

 https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/what-that-people-mystified-small-24666372?fs=e&s=cl&fbclid=IwAR1h37kmaqVcjjnwBPd5RLNV8NijcRH8E0IS-auWSnTMjbi5zI6B1DnYd5s

A fox? A bear? A 'furry pig thing'? A 'half-pig half-fox'? A bush dog?

The people of Heywood have been left mystified over an animal that a local resident claimed to have spotted in Queen's Park. Local resident John told the MEN he spotted it yesterday morning while out on his daily walk.

He posted a photo of the small, furry animal into the Heywood Town Facebook group and asked 'anyone know what this is?'. It caused quite a stir... with hundreds commenting on the post with their suggestions.

Danielle said: "Looks like a bear." Denise wrote: "It's a fox".

Laura offered an unusual suggestion. "It looks half pig half fox", she said.

"It's a racoon dog", Stacey commented. Josh asked: "Is it a mink maybe?".

Most people identified the animal as a bush dog, which are canines native to Central and South America. They live in forests and wet savannahs and it would be extremely rare to see one in the UK.

Chris wrote: "It's a bush dog". Emily said: "Ring RSPCA, it's a bush dog".

Jennifer O'Neill said: "Omg it's a bush dog they are awesome they have them at Yorkshire wildlife park. They don't live in the wild here though should let RSPCA know."

But a few people questioned whether the animal was actually spotted in Heywood at all. Adam wrote: "Gullible people". Maxine asked: "Wind up?".

Whether the animal was spotted in Heywood or not, it definitely got people talking. The mystery continues...

below a bush dog