Books Near Done (well one is completed)

The Red Paper I: Canids is completed at 360+ pages 

The Red Paper II: Felids is in the final stage of completion and over 220 pages

Each book will feature colour photographs many never seen in print before. The Canids book has lots of maps.

The Felids paper should be completed by the weekend and both books will then be on hold as I look for a publisher so that I can try and make back something after spending thousands over the last 40+ years.

Each book will completely alter natural history in the UK as you know it and there are even Irish wild cat photos. 

Hang Up The Trail Cams and Retire?

 Well, to answer the question just posed....

Some people reporting dead foxes and badgers is the only support I get. I was thinking of ending the work this year after over 45 years because my meagre finances cannot keep stretching. 

There IS a donation box to the right but I think it rusted over years ago 😂

But for the research alone over the years I have spent a few thousand. Unfortunately the humble naturalist is not permitted anywhere near University or college libraries -full of books with information from naturalists that the professional zoologist takes credit for. It's like a private club that you have to be in an elite to get access to. That is why naturalists tend to have large libraries of their own

Apart from the research work I dread thinking how much I've paid in phone charges since 1977 (I don't even get a long term customer rebate!).

Travelling expenses and field work...it all mounts up.

I keep getting told that I need to get a grant but as I keep explaining there is no grant existing for the fox and wild cat work as they are not seen of any interest although if you are attached to a university it can be wangled (that is a technical term in academia).

I would like to continue the work but this year I need to make a serious decision and it looks a tad grim and probably the longest serving researcher into wild cats and foxes in the UK (that's me unless you know someone else) will

hang up his trail cams and retire from the stress but as I never win the national lottery (I'm told you need to buy a lottery ticket??!!)  I think my non-existent bank balance is calling!

Wild Cats and Old Fox Types: Established Ignorance and Dogma has Gone On For Far Too Long

 I have stated before that when extinction comes it is far too late to shout out that "Why did no one do anything?"

We saw the Old fox types gradually reaching extinction point in the 1800s through hunting and there is book after book by the 'sportsmen' of the day as well as numerous journal articles all stating that it was so sad that the "old foxes" were soon going to join the wolf in extinction. So what did they do?

Kept on killing them.

Far easier to get on with the 'fun' and import thousands more each year for hunting from Europe. In doing this the hunts gave us the New fox -the ones we know today.  They also have to take responsibility for the introduction of mange across Britain thanks to their dealers.

We lost the Old foxes. We gradually lost the English and Welsh wild cats although evidence shows that they hung on into the 20th century. The current "wild tabby" in Scotland is possibly the fourth generation of wild cat. The "true" wild cat never made it to the 1850s in Scotland.

As it stands my colleague, LM, has the earliest taxidermy specimens of Scottish wild cats and one day we hope that some lab will run DNA on these (yes, that can be done) and the earliest Mountain fox taxidermy -and these foxes filled in the niche that the jackal had in Europe and coyote had in the Americas and, in fact, the specimen we have is larger than a coyote.

I have found one -just ONE- English wild cat taxidermy with a provenance that is beyond question. It matches early 1800s descriptions of the English wild cat and its colouring is different to the extirpated Scottish cat.

It seems possible some Welsh and English wild cats also had a lighter coat colouring but far more specimens are required to confirm this 100% and here is what I like to call the "kicker". During the 19th century Lord Penryn's Welsh estate gamekeepers killed over 2,300 wild cats. There are recorded -recorded- wild cat encounters and kills in Wales in the 1890s and 1909 and not feral cats but "perfect specimens". 

I have also managed to fully detail the story of "the Achill Island wolves" and map where there are unique island foxes and cats in the UK.

I was told by naturalists and two zoologists that the first Red Paper (2010) when it came to UK fox history was "explosive". No one actually paid attention as it rocked HMS Dogma. That book was just over 200pp in total while the new version is over 360 pages and includes colour images and some never seen in print before.  The wild cat manuscript is currently reaching 200 pp and I am JUST starting on Scottish wild cats, again illustrated with rare or never before in print images.

Much kudos goes to my colleague LM who has gathered an incredible amount of physical evidence.

All of this has been done without any financial backing or grants -none exist in the UK. I do not expect to make back any of the thousands of pounds spent over the decades because I never set out to make money. I would like some but it never works out that way. Unless a publisher can be found for both books I intend to put them for sale online for one year and, if they do not sell, then delete them.

Considering that my 2000 wild cats paper was 28pp I think over 200pp for the update is ample! 

Zoology and wildlife "experts" being complacent and pushing dogma has gone on for far too long. They all need to be re-educated while the public simply needs educating if interested.

Stand up. Say Something. DO Something. Extinction is forever.

 

I have completed The Red Paper I: Canids and it has come out at over 360pp and has colour images, maps and far more information than the original 2010 version.

One thing I have learnt in contacting National, regional as well as local museums is that their knowledge on foxes is non existent. After searches not one can claim to have a fox dating back to pre 1900 and not one has any knowledge of the Old fox types. It may be that foxes being “just foxes” were not of much interest to museums as their patrons would probably have objected to “vermin” they hunted being put on display -that was for the study, club or hunt base.

It is almost shocking that I have not come across one Museum, including the very uncooperative Natural History Museum (with whom I have been regularly in touch since the 1970s), that is aware of the mass importing of foxes from Europe from the 17^th century to early 1900s to keep hunts supplied for their ‘sport’. I was always told that museums were “places of learning” but it seems that was a very long time ago and then only on what they thought the Public ought to see or that might draw the punters in. That attitude is very prevalent today where “natural history” means “push the trendy agenda” of “We must save the (insert species name)!” and climate and the environment.

If the knowledge on foxes is non existent then any clues on wild cats is...well; not there. All the museums I have contacted only have post 1900 “Scottish wild cats” -the “Museum Standard” type that is probably a hybrid anyway since genuine wild cats were gone by the 19^th century. Not one museum in Wales has an example of a taxidermy WELSH wild cat. In England I can find one museum (again not being cooperative at all) that claims to have “The last English wild cat” on display and in Ireland absolutely no one appears to have carried out any real research or field work into the “Irish wild cat” to sort out once and for all what it was.

Lupicide, melecide, felicide, vulpicide were all accepted terms up to the early 20^th century. Far from a nation of animal lovers the English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh were nations helping to wipe out species -even hares and deer had to be imported to “continue the sport” and everyone kept quiet in front of their betters while there is evidence of some early fox feeders.

My colleague, LM, has the biggest collection of Old foxes -including a very important French one – and even wild cats than any museum in the UK including the Natural History Museum. What does that say about our education of youngsters and adults on subjects like foxes as good indicators of the ecosystem, better and safer rodent control than any traps or poisons or what we have lost and why we need to learn to fight to protect foxes and other species because, despite the childrens’s TV view of wildlife spouted in popular sources the mammals from otters (a supposed protected species), the badger (a supposed protected species), foxes (supposedly protected under law like all British wildlife) reintroduced and established birds of prey (supposedly protected species) -they are all still being poisoned, snared, trapped and shot and while the law seems to make the odd prosecution stick out of every 10 wildlife crimes 1 report will get anything done about it.

Ebay lists “Scottish wild cat taxidermy new” (illegal unless you have an APHA certificate showing it was not killed illegally) as well as many badgers (as I was told on taxidermy groups “All road-

kill” nod! Wink!) and when I see the protected species for sale I report them. Taxidermists appear to turn a blind eye so long as they are told “road-kill. I have the photo of the badger dead by the side of the road in case”.

The number of dead foxes reported to me this year alone (and I know that many are not reported) in Bristol is utterly depressing. Cars, illnesses just how foxes are surviving is almost beyond belief and I seriously do believe that the UK population is facing a crisis. I get people message me from around the UK asking how they can get a fox post mortem carried out or reporting RTA kills and that is without the ‘sporting shooters’ who kill so many each week (look at the n umber of “new” fox skulls for sale on Ebay and not just one trader but up to 5-6 at a time. Some 25 skulls for sale. 30 skulls for sale. 50 skulls for sale. No one seems to care and judging by the lack of responses on fox groups and even this forum I am guessing the “Can’t be bothered -someone else will sort it out” attitude is the one thing that guarantees this will continue.

Stand up.

Say Something.

DO Something.

Extinction is forever.