I have just spent three years of intense research gathering photographs, illustrations, making maps and checking and double checking sources for the two Red Papers since they not only challenge vwildlife dogma in the UK but look at so many angles. The reason I had that amount of time to devote to the manuscripts was the covid lockdown. After that there was trhe fight to get the Fox Deaths Project up and running as well as my usual advisory work so I have/am working 18 hour days.
I have six trail cams that were ready for the exotics work -cats and wolverine- but apart from covid there was another problem. Farms where we knew wolverine and large cats had territories were put up for sale. Despite the fact that I had letters and photographs those involved suddenly denied everything. In the case of one very well known farmer who photographed and recorded a great deal abouyt wolverine on his farm the family denied ever having heard of any such thing while admitting that no evidence existed (they had destroyed almost 30 years work) and that if I publicised the ('non-existent') wolverine on the land they would sue "for decimating land value" -in other words; no one was going to buy good sheep land if they knew there were wolverine about.
It wasn't the first time this had happened. I doubt it will be the last. The pronblem is if the old owner dies and the family want to sell then "Oh, there is a resident puma/wolverine in the area" just might tip a seller into saying "no". Money talks.
If the Red Papers ever get published you will see that my research is intensive: I get one quote then I will look for a secondary or even third confirmation. I study flora and fauna in an area as well as geographic features and game trails -all to assess whether it is feasible for a particular animal nto live in an area (incidentally, it was such research that helped me find out how badgers hadv survived after centuries of melecide).
I have traced the keeping of wolverine in the UK as far back as possible and there are a couple of famous examples. Discussing how and when they got into the UK countryside will not involve citing (so many people stole material and their 'expertise' from my old Exotic Animal Register bulletins and advisories and still continue using the out dated material) World War 1, World War 2 or even the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act (DWAA).
Shockingly (not really since I have learnt that 'experts' of high standing can never be trusted to even mildly wobble the zoological boat) one very senior man informed that there was a dead wolverine at the side of a road just two miles from his establishment would not answer calls or faxes (something he had always done very quickly before even when discussing large cats such as pumas). The actual physical proof, the evidence we had discussed before, was there just a short drive away and two wildlife rangers had seen the carcass. When the observers drove by the spot next day the carcass was gone. I used a rather underhand trick to find out from the highways department "What happened to the wolverine you picked up yesterday -we haven't got it?" (I had not said I was with any organisation but they put two and two together -who else would know about a wolverine dead near the roadside?) Oh, I learnt who got the wolverine and where it was sent.
Wolverine in the UK is not any "urban myth" and only an idiot would identify a wolverine as a "muddy badger"! Incidentally I was once threatened with legal action if I mentioned a certain "professionals" name when I proved that his muddy badger explanation was pure debunking (and he was playing the "believers" while acting as a DEFRA expert witness). That is the point when you know that you have caugfht someone out and they are worried -why would someone be so concerned if you respond to their theory (politely) and stating case after case of well observed wolverine (by naturalists no less as well as at leasdt two RSPCA inspectors) at close quarters? Surely as zoologists, biologists and naturalists we gather and assess the data aqnd thenb present it?
There is enough material as well as (anecdotal -police reports/incidents etc) testimony as to how wolverine got into the British countryside and one day that will need to see the light of print!
I have not given up it is a case of time and absolutely no funding and without money you can do very little.
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