Common Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca)

 

Common Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca)

Photo Credit: mithunhphotography. Location: Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka. Country: India

British 'Big Cat' Social Groups -pure Ignorance and Toxicity

Someone asked on a Big Cat group on Face Book whether the Victorians who went off travelling the world brought back various cat cubs but as they got older and bigger dumped them.

I politely responded that there is no information suggesting that and that these cats were available to buy in the UK without world travel expenses.

Another person stated that the "current theory" is that lynx never died out in the UK.

I politely pointed them in the direction of my paper on lynx in the UK.

Responses:

*Terry Hooper and what is your conclusion as this is your book? We have proof of people admitting to letting them go…

*Terry Hooper there has been multiple people that have admitted to releasing big cats, following the DWA. There is also a video, recently posted on here, about a man that runs a big cat sanctuary in the UK, who has a puma that was dumped on his doorstep and speaks of people - now a days- dumping their big cats when they can’t handle them. Where do you get the info to the contrary?

"Terry Hooper thats where ur wrong. the chipperfield circus released some

Well, I tried to be polite since these and others obviously did not understand or were unable to read my post:

""Nope. A lot of misconceptions here and if I tell the conclusions of my work then no point selling it.

"I dealt in far more detail with UK exotic cats in The Red Paper Felids. I have spent 1976 up to present studying and researching these cats and from 1977 on I was a UK police forces exotic wildlife advisor and still do that from time to time.

The sightings did not start with the DWAA 1976 and as a naturalist I know the various cats are out there but its pointless arguing the point if people 'know everything'.

I have bones from kills examined by experts at universities and all the photographic evidence, pawprints I need.

Just do some research and do not conclude that I am wrong until you have read my published research is all I am asking."

The problem is, as I say, these groups tend to be toxic and had I said they were all correct I would have been piled on by others who disagree. My papers and books are out there for them to read. Fact and fully referenced with material and reports never before seen. None of the cryptozoological fantasy-to-make-money or "cryptid" rubbish. Facts. And that makes me a debunker (an insulting remark to any professional) because I haver proven various formerly exotic cats are in the UK?

These people need to stop reading Fortean Times or the silly cryptozoology books that are non factual. However, those reinforce the opinions of the fans and so do the podcasts and the obviously faked reports that keep popping up on these groups.

For that reason I will keep to posting on my own EAR Face Book groupo and here. Hoipefully some educated people will learn.

A Very Blurry Cat Video and HOW Can A Lab State "99% likely Black Panther"?

Another recent 'big cat' image had me rolling my eyes yet again (I must stop doing that as it hurts). With UFOs the remarks are always "Why is the photo never clear?" and in cryptozoology there is the same problem -with "bigfoot" photos the blurry could-be-anything photos are known as "blob squatches".

And we have the same with 'big cat' videos and photos as I have noted before.

 https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/big-cat-makes-van-driver-8838607

'Big cat' makes van driver slam on brakes - 'it was jet black and massive'

A suspected 'panther' in Wales - photographed on Sunday (October 15)

Another week another sighting of a 'big cat' prowling through the UK countryside - this time in Wales. Pictures show what looks like a black panther walking up a hill in the Colwyn Bay area.

The person who captured the video of the large dark shape says they are "sure" it's a black panther. Rumours that big cats roam the British countryside have been around for years. with many sightings in Gloucestershire.

The witness, who does not want to be named, said: "It's such a privilege seeing an animal like that. I'm still over the moon about it."

"It was very exciting watching it. People have been talking about seeing it, then I was just driving my van and I spotted it. I just slammed on the brakes.

"Everyone who has seen the video is very sure it's a black panther. It's jet black and massive, with a huge tail - and it's moving as cats do.

"Apparently some black panthers were let loose in Wales in the 1970s and some pairs have bread. I don't think they're a risk. I hike around here all the time.

"They are very solitary animals and wouldn't go near us unless they really had to." The video was shot on Sunday (October 15) at 8am.

The 'big cat' in Wales

The introduction of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 saw a number of big cats previously held as pets released into the wild, according to reports. It is suggested some were released into the Welsh countryside.

Recent DNA from a black hair sample, snagged on a fence at a Gloucestershire farm, was found to have 99 per cent chance it was a black leopard.. The creatures also hit the headlines when presenter Clare Balding spotted a mysterious animal in the Wye Valley while she was recording a BBC Radio 4 episode.

During audio shared on TikTok from the moment, she says: "It's disappeared completely hasn't it, it's gone off into the woods and disappeared. I should point out that I never knew that there were stories of a big black cat, so when I saw it I didn't even say to you 'look', I just thought 'Oh look'.

Even on the actual video clip the image is not much clearer and although it looks like it might be a cat it could also be a dog but evidence wise the clip proves nothing and I am always wary of Tik Tok videos.  The pro 'big cat' people have stated that the cat "is massive" because ancient human survival instincts are such that they can spot danger and gauge size. Hmm. So why are so many drivers crashing into cars in daylight and only a few feet away from them?7

 https://www.tiktok.com/@independent/video/7291226606989757729

The desperation to get a "genuine big cat" leads to many claims about what an image or clip contains. In this case not much of value but it is still being declared a genuine 'big cat'.  I did laugh at one point in the article: the DWAA 1976 as the catalyst that sparked off all of the modern 'big cat' sightings is inaccurate. Some cats and other species may have been released but I threw out that explanation in the mid 1990s when research showed the extensive history, importation, etc of exotic species including puma, leopards, lynx and so on. 

This shows the outdated books used as references by many in this field -Di Francis was inaccurate and spouted so many inaccuracies that today's enthusiasts accept as fact. Janet and Colin Bord and their Alien Animals is also referred to and that contained less than accurate information. Other works tend to be authors (even certain "noted" ones) simply doing a copy and paste job and whether "mystery cats" or other "cryptids" most have never even carried out basic research or even gone to the original sources. I do.

Now, also back in the 1990s we had a close (10ft/3m) sightings of a panther that was sleeping in an enclosed space but after hissing at the witness escaped through another exit. The police were obviously involved and a black hair was found and sent for DNA testing. The results were without question Panthera pardus -leopard.  So to read that a hair snagged on a fence was supposedly DNA tested and found to "have 99% chance it was a black leopard" makes me ask where the DNA test report is and which lab carried out the testing?

There is a massive data base that scientists consult if in any doubt so a hair should come back as "Result -Panthera pardus" and most labs provide other data. "99% chance it was a black panther" is not a scientific statement but sounds more like a guess work conclusion. WHO tested the hair? 

All of this shows why zoologists and naturalists (who zoologists generally rely on to do all the dirty work) do not take the subject seriously (publicly). I have spoken to many naturalists from ornithologists, mammalogists, etc who while out doing field work observed these cats at close quarters (10ft -100yards -3m-100m). You would be surprised who and what bodies accept that these animals are out there but just do not get embroiled in the whole "British Big Cat" farce.

More British 'Big Cat' Photographs

This one is currently doing the rounds on the fringe internet groups. So let's look at the photograph and back story shall we?

And before anyone thinks "Not much to that account" I can tell you that for every good, detailed and close proximity sighting you get there are 50 of these. So is it a black panther as claimed by many or a black puma?

Here is an enlargement of the photograph.

Not great quality but it really does not need crystal clear imaging here. You can see by every diagnostic feature that this is a domestic cat. Whether a feral domestic or not does not matter here since domestic and feral go into woods as part of their nature. 

The counter-argument is that the length of the grass shows it to be large. This is possibly the biggest nonsense to come from 'big cat' enthusiasts who desperately want a photo of a leopard or puma. We have those already but no one expects the fan fringe to know that based on what they declare to be their reading material. In the last week I have seen blurry images that could be anything described as a cheetah (we have never had cheetah reports in the UK other than the rare escapee re-captured)...oh, and a lynx discussed as "a big cat" species.

So this is just another domestic cat photo.

 Then we have this:

"...the latest sighting, someone has claimed to have seen what they describe as a 'black panther' in a Somerset cemetery. But closer examination of Malcolm Foster's image would tend to suggest it is a small black cat."

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/regional-news/big-cat-photographed-west-country-8803229

It is very clearly a small domestic cat so the question is why would a news outlet use it for another 'big cat' story? Well, it provides content even if it does make those who took the photo look like idiots. And, as we know, 'big cat' stories are "sexy news" and always draws attention.  

There are good clips and photos out there and it is only a matter of time before someone gets a much clearer image and we need more of those since we have all the real evidence needed (see The Red Paper Felids) but to add more photographic and video material to these new native species would be good.

Remembering Leopards Launch | 11 October

The Raccoon Dog In The UK -A Threat or Filling A Vacant Predator Niche?

 

 

Raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides)

The one thing that keeps cropping up, and from my own Exotic Animal Register records from the 1980s on are raccoon dogs

In the past people reporting raccoon dogs have witnessed them being shot or trapped and killed on DEFRA orders -ignoring wildlife parks, etc that were willing to take them on. Back in the early 2000s a lo0cal DEFRA man threatened to have me prosecuted for not turning over maps with locations of raccoon dogs. Nothing happened and besides which all the locations are in my head for safety reasons.

I have been keeping an eye on these animals, as I do with any former "exotic" or so called "invasive species" in the UK since the early 1980s after seeing two in the wild in Germany in the 1970s.   My main questions are:

1) is the animal causing loss of local wildlife?

2) is the animal causing any environmental or other damage?

In the case of raccoon dogs I can state that they have caused no widespread problems to British wildlife -there are millions of rats and rabbits in the UK as well as smaller mammals that humans shoot, poison, trap and kill as "nuisances" and from talking to locals who know the areas where these animals are they have cut back the rodent population but not in any drastic way. I have been told that nothing in the areas where they are has changed and if it were not for the occasional sighting no one would know that they were there. In fact one response has been "There are far, far fewer rats these days".

(c)2023 respective copyright holder

Now, if after four decades of looking at these animals I saw that they were having an adverse effect on the environment I would be all for trapping and them spending a life in an appropriate wildlife centre. Killing is never an option unless you are DEFRA and want to waste public money by paying out a couple of thousand to someone to trap and kill.

So many key species have been wiped out by humans in the UK over the centuries for 'sport' and 'fun' that there are niches that need to be filled. We killed off the wolves and lynx and wild cats and we have had animals such as the raccoon dog fill those niches. After the mass of extinctions in the 19th century the prey-predator ratio was all in the favour of prey and their growing in numbers. Hence the craze for poisons and trapping.

Could all of the raccoon dogs in the wild be killed off? Doubtful. First you have to find them and locals tend to keep quiet.  Awareness of raccoon dogs and how to behave in areas where they might be is important -as is most wildlife education.

Above: young raccoon dog for sale in Kent in 2011  (c)2023 EAR

Although they hide it well and communicate by secure apps on mobile phones we know people do breed and sell on. If they were not doing so then the RSZPCA must be rescuing imaginary animals.

This RSPCA page explains what you need to know.

https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/other/raccoondogs#:~:text=Selling%20raccoon%20dogs%20in%20the,dogs%20to%20be%20kept%20securely.

Keeping raccoon dogs as pets

On this page, we answer all your questions about raccoon dogs - what they are, what they eat and whether they can be kept as pets.

Selling raccoon dogs in the UK

Since 2 February 2019, it's been illegal to sell raccoon dogs (except for existing 'stock'), as they're a highly invasive risk to native species in Europe. These regulations also don't allow breeding and require raccoon dogs to be kept securely. Read more about the legal restrictions for keeping raccoon dogs and other invasive alien species.

Not a raccoon

Raccoon dogs (also known as a 'tanuki' or a Japanese raccoon dog) aren't raccoons - they're members of the canid (dog) family. They're native to the forests of eastern Siberia, northern China, North Vietnam, Korea and Japan.  They're now widespread in some European countries, having been accidentally released or escaped.

Diet

Raccoon dogs are omnivores and naturally feed on insects, rodents, amphibians, birds, fish, molluscs and carrion, as well as fruits, nuts and berries.

Pet suitability

A raccoon dog isn't suitable as pet as their needs simply can't be met in a typical household. We strongly discourage people from buying or keeping one as a pet.

This is because:

• They're much more difficult to look after than you may imagine! 
• There are strict legal restrictions on keeping, selling, rehoming and breeding raccoon dogs, as they threaten our native wildlife.
• They need space - raccoon dogs are wild animals rather than domesticated pets. In the wild, they have large home ranges, so it wouldn't be suitable to keep one in an enclosure that doesn't provide the space and complexity of the environment (water, hiding places, vegetation) they need.
• They're extremely smelly, as they use scent to communicate with one another - not the best quality in a house pet!

Sadly, it's not uncommon to see raccoon dogs kept in a house, a small enclosure in a garden or a small enclosure in a pet shop. These are all environments that are totally unsuitable for a raccoon dog's complex needs.

Rescued raccoon dogs

Our inspectors have taken in raccoon dogs that were no longer wanted as pets by their owners. This can be the result of the raccoon dog becoming unmanageable, or when owners realise that they cannot care for the animal properly.

We've attended properties where raccoon dogs have been kept in enclosures that are far too small. We've found raccoon dogs kept on their own, or with the family dog - none of which is appropriate for this particular species.

Our team has also been called to capture and collect stray raccoon dogs that have escaped, or been deliberately released into the wild. Releasing, or allowing a raccoon dog to escape is a punishable offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Studies have suggested that raccoon dogs in the wild may live and hunt in pairs or small family groups, although solitary animals have also been seen. We rehome raccoon dogs to wildlife parks and zoos, in pairs or compatible groups.

If you've seen a raccoon dog that's been abandoned, or are concerned about the well-being of a raccoon dog being kept as a pet, please contact us.

A Civet Is NOT A Big Cat

 The question asked on a big cat group was whether a civet counted as a big cat or not? I am now going to start banging my head on the wall.

North Weald, Essex.

A civet is a small, lean, mostly nocturnal mammal native to tropical Asia and Africa, especially the tropical forests. The term civet applies to over a dozen different species, mostly from the family Viverridae. Most of the species's diversity is found in southeast Asia.

Above: a civet. There are many types of civet and this image is used as a visual.

The problem is that we seemed to be getting a grip of the exotics trade back in the early 2000s but then regulations were scrapped and now we have people breeding meerkats, porcupines, raccoons and raccoon dogs amongst many. Much of the trade is slightly dodgy as noted before. 

Cages and property should always be secure and often people buy thinking it will all be easy. Put some food in, clean the cage....but animals are not dumb and if they see a chance to escape they are gone. Sadly, as with a lemur shot by a farmer in the 1990s ("it looked odd") humans eventually kill escapes with guns or cars.