Two NEW Publications: A Genuine British "Big Cat"-The Irish Wild Cat: Fact or Fiction?

 

 

A4

12pp

Colour/b&w

£12

https://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper/the-case-for-a-genuine-british-big-cat/paperback/product-yvq8k8n.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 

Terry Hooper-Scharf was the eotic wildlife consultant for UK police forces from 1977-2018 and when reports of “big cat” kills or evidence were received he evaluated the evidence.

In a high number of cases where a “puma” was reported the animals’ size did not match up even if facial markings were noted.

Other reports of panthers (black leopards) and black pumas  were also problematical and not explained as “baby big cats”. His interest in these reports resulted in police wildlife officers calling them “Hooper Cats”.

Video evidence was then received from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the police and  local wildlife enthusiasts. Everything matched up to some “black big cat” reports and once the basic information was gathered a good general description was of a black cat, leggy and the size of a whippet dog.

 There is no doubt that these were large cats but far from escapee exotics from private collections.

This paper presents the facts behind the Hooper Cats and what could well be called a genuine British ‘big’ cat.

 

A4

15pp

Colour/b&w

£12

 

https://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper/irish-wild-cat-fact-or-fiction/paperback/product-kv4wjyq.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 

Ever since the 18th century many noted naturalists and zoologists have argued for and against the existence of a wild cat species is Ireland (Northern Ireland and Eire). At times the debate in publications became quite heated  to the point of name-calling.

Starting in the late 1970s Terry Hooper-Scharf looked at the archival mentions of such animals in both Irish myth and legend as well as observations by naturalists and reports they collected.

Based on the historical record there was no doubt that an Irish wild cat was no myth but it did not appear to be related to the English, Welsh or Scottish wild cats (distinguished from the accepted European wild cat hybrids of today).  There is no doubt that the latter cats were observed in Ireland up until the 1970s and as with others around the UK were likely imported for hunting.

The big clue lay in an Irish museum as noted in 2021 and in 2026 it is confirmed that remains of a wild cat have been found in an Irish cave dating back 5,500 years and so confirming the Author’s own research.

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Wild Summit 2026 -I was Not Impressed

 

I need to apologise to Bristol Fox Lady/Bristol Wildlife Rescue Sarah Millsfor dragging her to the so called Wild Summit. I printed out a small fortune (in ink) flyers and info packs to hand out.

Avon Wildlife Trust ("We work through Bristol City Council") were not interested in the fox and badger data. In fact, no one was interested in mammals whether otters, badgers, foxes (plenty of fox photos used though) or even hedgehogs. Bees, butterflies, wild flowers, water purity and conservation nd that was it.

Fella from the Badger Trust talking about setting up a Bristol Badger Group (8 times right next to me) so I jumped in every time and pointed out that I have run BBG since 1994/1995 but he kept it up and told me to my face he had heard of my fox work but not badger work. How good is the Badger Trust when they have had emails etc off me for 30 years and been told repeatedly over the last year there was a BBG? Kept trying to talk over me every time I was amking points based on years of research and work. Nope. Well not be cooperating wityh him or BT.

So making the countryside wild friendly but no one interested in wildlife crossings/tunnels.

Basically it was badly organised and had I paid £240 for a ticket there would have been trouble.

Oh West England .Wildlife Index was not that good. Their data was a mess they noted bird decline (mentioned 8 times as frightening) no idea about mammal decline or fish decline and then they told us how their data was basically not worth much as it needed another 5 years. I think Sarah probably heard my loud grunt as the woman in charge stated "We get data from naturalists but take it with a grain of salt" Talk about insulting the dying breed of people who go out getting the real data and muddied boots. I stopped myself from standing and walking out. I did feel sorry for one of the volunteers who stepped up to exp-lain the work she had been doing but got four heckles of "stand closer to the microphone" and she was nervous enough.

The RSPCA Senior scientific advisor stodd up and I just waited for her to say the great job the RSPCA does for wildlife but in the few minutes she spoke all I learnt was her field of work was tigers. Yes, foxes and badgers and British wildlife are silly so concentrate on ovrseas wildlife (which I am told the RSPCA is doing?!)

The ex copper who said we need better organisation, etc and some forces had no wildlife crime officer well...back into the early 2000s there were plenty of good PWLOs and senior officers were involved. Now we have a situations wth four wildlife crimes in the Bristol area (including a snared otter) and a fox torn up by a dog under the command of its owner and....nothing. We had three foxes found in one day on an allotment and the Wildlife officer visited the site and made notes and was offered the foxes to take (THAT should be standard) but he would not even go and look at the foxes and his notes ("intelligence") was it. THREE suspicious death foxes and the copper would not even look at them. Interestingly a PCSO did a better job and bagged up two foxes and a cat in a suspicious death case and submitted them for post mortems. Obviously the part time policeman had a better grasp of the job than the full time professional.

At times with 'quizzes", stickers, big sheets of paper and colour pens I felt I was back at Glenfrome Road nursery school.

Radio talks the event up well but there was NOTHING to the event just "We need to jolly well show the government by sending in a petition".

I do not likke rudeness or bad manners but that was also very evident at the event.

Basically an online petition appears to have been what was needed for most talks. That a great deal of the information was old -I have sources saying the same f thing from the 1980s and that was built on from 1970s work,

Field or any type of naturalist did not seem to be present. After a remark that anything from a naturalist was taken "with a pinch of salt" that was lucky.

I left thinking that I had lost two hours or so of my rapidly decling life anjd that working by myself seems the best way to go.

I was lucky that Sarah Mills was present as even she commented "Nothing on mammals? Not even hedgehogs!"

Maybe I should have had a table there to push mammals?

"Sentinel markers for ecosystem contamination"

 

 In the past fox post mortems have revealed plastic packaging in the stomachs of foxes which resulted in their deaths. We have been noting things that could point to a problem in the ecosystem and I was just informed of the latest PM result:

"Severe chronic renal histopathology confirmed but I’m uncertain of the case. Possibly the pathology might suggest and infarct but again any cause of this is uncertain. Summary: Severe chronic renal pathology of uncertain cause. "

In case you are wondering what the mplications are: Chronic exposure to environmental pollutants is associated with renal damage, potentially affecting longevity and health of wild fox populations. This is a sentinel marker for ecosystem contamination and really should not be ignored but, as I have said over the last five decades, no one is interested "just foxes".

It's sad that back in July I noted 182 foxes had been reported dead. The current figure two months later is 230

Fox Facial Injury Treatment

  The old rule under certain "rescue" was a fox with a facial injury HAD to be put down. Most vets would agree.

However, things in Bristol have changed. Likely an injury from a car swipe on the nearby busy road the fox was treated for around 9 weeks given pain relief and anti biotics. All treated in situ by Sarah Mills.

With a falling fox population at least this one now has a good chance.

above during treatment

Above after treatment

Kill It and then Dump it on the road -who asks questions?

 Whether otters, foxes, badgers, pine martens or birds of prey be aware: killing them and dumping them by the side of the road is an old farmers trick.

Above: otter left at roadside. Car was stopped as it was thought to be a fox at first. Cause of death? Snaring

The Fox Death study found two fox snaring cases -both found by the roadside.

People seeing dead wildlife by the road assume all are road kill so why ask questions?

You SHOULD ask questions.

Slaughtered Geese and Goslings -It's all health and safety (honestly)

  I posted This Is What The UK Thinks of Wildlife and guess what?  Even more evidence. Natural England seem to sign off on animal death warrants (oops. "Cull licences") like people throw confetti at a wedding. Are they being paid for these licences?  Does anyone at NE even check personally on a situation before issuing a licence to kill wildlife -and this is far more common than people know- ?  Oh, the old "Health and public safety" excuse -the club spokesman uses the phrase a lot along with the crocodile tears and "we never wanted to do this"fakery.  

Name the "pest controller"/company who carried out the killings. 

Every night hundreds of men and women (including off duty police officers ("blue insurance") go out 'sport' shooting -foxes, deer, birds in fact anything "legal" or illegal for kicks. HOW can polirticians say we have the greatest gun control when morons rush out to shoot and kill every day?  And Natural England mentions declining species numbers (well, they try to avoid it unless it serves a purpose) and "environmental causes" but totally ignore the, uh, 'sportsmen' -the same type of people who wiped out so many UK species in the 19th cemtury -all through 'sport'.

Many thouysands of birds are killed by local authorities each year on, uh "health and safety" grounds. 300,000 badgers were killed (Wales wants to go for a cull next) based on fake science and health and safety issues.

The UK is simply anti wildlife and takes any opportunity (even without cars) to kill it -shooting, snaring, poisoning it goes on and on and everyone puts on the fake smiling face and "We LOVE Wildlife" badgeswhile hiding their blood stained hands behind their backs.

Geese and goslings at the club

Tennis club secretly asked marksman to shoot geese

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/tennis-club-secretly-asked-marksman-212527298.html

The Canada geese that visited St George's Hill had become a familiar sight, regularly appearing on the club's social media channels

Members of one of Britain's most prestigious tennis clubs have cried foul over the secret culling of a gaggle of geese.

They are "furious" after the management at St George's Hill Lawn Tennis Club in Weybridge, Surrey, called in a marksman to stop the birds making a mess of the courts.

Residents reported hearing a volley of gunshots shortly after sunrise and later learned that eight birds had been killed, including goslings, according to The Times.

The club, set on the exclusive St George's Hill estate, has long been associated with famous residents including John Lennon, Jenson Button and Sue Barker.

Members pay an annual fee of £2,664 on top of a £2,000 joining charge. In return, they have access to 34 courts, including grass, clay and indoor surfaces, as well as a swimming pool and clubhouse.

The club was also where Emma Raducanu won the UK Pro Series and the UK Pro Classic in 2020, a year before her US Open triumph.

It has previously embraced the Canada geese on its social media channels, sharing a photo last year of two young birds waddling, captioned: "We have baby goslings on our Lakeside Terrace!"

The year before, it posted a photograph of two adults and two goslings walking across a tennis court in wet weather, captioned: "Canadian geese family enjoyed the courts today."

An adult and gosling who were spared the cull on July 16 were allegedly "found in a distressed state the same day wandering the local area", according to a social media post.

It said: "The tennis club claim they were pests and murdered them by the club's lake, which they used as their home, much to the delight of the young and old club members. Such barbaric action in a situation where local wildlife organisations would have taken them in."

Members claimed the birds were part of the "beauty" of the club and that they were not consulted about the cull.

"The members have always liked the geese," one long-standing member said. "It is sometimes a bit annoying because they amble on to the courts and leave their poo.

"But that does not mean they had to be shot. It's a private estate and the residents are concerned about a firearm being brought in without any warning."

Another player added: "The club management ordered this because they felt the birds were making the courts messy. There was no consultation with the members. The club is in a beautiful setting and the birds were part of that."

One member claimed they were initially told the birds had been relocated, only to find out later that they had been shot.

"The Canada geese were adored and loved. They walked around the club at their own pace and sometimes held up the traffic, but nobody minded," they said.

"First we were told they had been rehomed and then that they had 'flown off'. The members and local residents are furious."

The shooting, which started at 5.25am, was carried out by a marksman operating under a Natural England licence permitting the culling of certain bird species to protect public health and safety.

Surrey Police said they were informed about the shooting at 5.18am by a pest controller.

Miles Hill, the club's chief executive, said: "We fully understand that some members and estate residents have been upset by what occurred.

"This was not a decision the club wished to take, nor one that was taken lightly. It followed many months of attempting to manage a growing resident population of Canada geese through enhanced cleaning and non-lethal measures.

"The decision was taken primarily on the grounds of public health and public safety.

"Despite extensive daily cleaning by multiple members of our grounds team, we were increasingly unable to keep pace with the volume of faeces being produced."

Mr Hill said it was important for the cull to remain secret so the operation could be carried out safely.

"The decision reflected a genuine desire to avoid causing unnecessary concern, distress or alarm over what was a lawful operational matter undertaken in the interests of public health and safety," he added.

He said the club had "reflected carefully" on the incident and was developing a wildlife management plan under which lethal control would remain a measure of "absolute last resort".

"The recent arrival of further Canada geese at the lake reinforces why the club's future focus will be on preventing geese from establishing themselves in heavily used member areas, rather than relying on relocation, which is neither a practical nor sustainable long-term solution," he said.

"Where members made inquiries to me about the absence of the geese, I responded directly, openly and honestly, explaining the reasons for the decision and the background that led to it."

Canada Geese were introduced to Britain in the 17th century and were recorded as part of King Charles II's waterfowl collection in St James's Park, central London, in 1665.

They are now well established in the UK, with the RSPCA placing their number at about 190,000.