The Work Is NOT Completed And If You Can Help....

It seems that some people think that, with the publication of The Red Paper 2022 I: Canids and The Red Paper 2022 II: Felids my work is done. I have pointed out before that, although seen as groundbreaking works that correct the dogma of the past 130 years, the work is never complete.   

There are no photos that I can find of V v hoole and only ones from zoos listing Chinese red fox / Vulpes vulpes ssp these photos (below) of such a fox at Hangzhou Zoo

Also it has to be remembered that I am an historian and that I specialise in canids and felids and have an interest in the true historical past of certain species. One of these is the now extinct Hong Kong Fox.  Despite asking UK museums -particularly the Natural History Museum (London)- I have been unable to find a taxidermy example of the HK fox or even any old photographs. Colonials had their fun and wiped them out and moved on.Even Hong KLong wildlife groups have no idea what the fox looked like and some growing up in more modern times did not even know that there had been a HK fox. My last update on the search can be found here:

https://foxwildcatwolverineproject.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-hong-kong-fox-extant.html

My next step is to contact European museums to see whether they have any taxidermy or accurate information on the HK fox because its history deserves to be known.  

When it comes to Old fox and Old wild cats in Europe I am afraid that requires researchers based based there to look into.  We know, from contemporary artwork, etc., that the Old Western European fox had a somewhat similar appearance to those in the UK and Ireland and that what we see in Europe today are simply species that moved in as the Old types were killed off.  

Even the European wild cat of today, like the so called 'Scottish wild cat', are not the original type. In general wolves and foxes as well as wild cats were not subject to island dwarfism in the UK/Ireland and so it stands to reason that on Continental Europe the size of these animals would be similar.  Whether there were animals similar to Greyhound foxes that filled the niche of the coyote or jackal in the UK in Europe...it seems very likely from anecdotal evidence.   

What it all comes down to are two things:

(1) Taxidermy

(2) Photographs

With taxidermy what we are looking for with the British Fox Study are foxes killed and mounted from 1850 and before.  We need a geographic location and date. There are old taxidermy out there but it is a problem getting people to come forward  to give us the information we need and photographs of the foxes. My colleague, LM, has acquired a good few examples of what are likely greyhound foxes., 

It took many years but I eventually got photographs of white foxes that populated certain areas and were more or less a 'myth' in hunting books. In fact, all of the accounts mention fox masks (heads) only and yet, digging in, I got photos of full body taxidermies. The myth is that there were no white foxes when the evidence points to the fact that this was not an uncommon colouration.  So if you are reading this and have or know someone who has what they term a Hill/greyhound or mountain fox PLEASE get in touch. 

Heinrich Lihl A wild cat with a pheasant and a fox in a landscape, circa 1756

The ultimate aim is naturally to have samples undergo DNA testing -if we can find a lab willing to do the work for free (we have very limited funding). Unlike the DNA testing for 'Big cat' in the UK during the 1990s when people submitted sheep, cow and horse hair (!) we actually have the provenance of the foxes in our possession so there is no question of doubt. 

The same applies to British (Welsh, Scottish and English) wild cats. With the Felids book I believe the whole question of there being an Irish wild cat has been answered -yes there was but modern writers are simply ignoring the evidence quite freely available. We also know that there appear to have been two colour variations in the UK and that, obviously, these Old wild cats were not the tabbies of today which are far too small and there is still argument over the size of the cats tail to 'prove' it is a genuine wild cat.  

The size of Old wild cats was such that hunters gave their dogs metal studded collars to prevent them being killed when confronting the cats -some still succumbed and hunters were themselves seriously injured. There was a good reason why Pennant (in the 18th century) called them "The English Tiger" (after the supposed extinction of the English wild cat the term was changed to "The Highland Tiger" and many a cryptozoologist, based on the description of the cats size etc. believe(d) this to be some form of unknown cat -possibly an exotic).

By the 1860s, along with the British Red Squirrel and others the Golden Age of Hunting had killed off the Old foxes and the Old wild cat although it ought to be pointed out that by 1800 the wild cat was the 3rd or 4th generation type and not the true form.

Again, if anyone reading this has or knows of anyone with a taxidermy wild cat from 1850 or before please get in touch.

Old photographs of trophy wild cats before 1880 are also very useful so, again, if you have such please get in touch.

We know that there are early 19th century mounted Greyhound foxes as well as wild cats in the North of England and Scotland (probably Ireland also) but it is trying to find out where they are and who has them and if they are willing to help out the historical research. Again, if you know or have any please get in touch.

blacktowercg@hotmail.com

And THANK YOU