Why Modern "Experts" Refuse to Accept Documented Historical Facts on Wild Cats

 It is often the case that that dogma is so entrenched on a certain subject, as well as money invested, that no matter what factual evidence you provide you will be ignored or e called a "whacky theorist".

In 1897, a learned gathering comprising naturalists (which usually meant they were also 'sportsmen') as well as the man noted as THE expert on wild cats after 40 years of study,  declared that the true Scottish wild cat had died out during the 1860s.

The declaration was made in a paper widely available at the time and still available online today. Yet, it seems, not one person writing about or said to be studying Scottish wild cats has ever read that paper -or they have and have turned a blind eye (ego and prestige as an "expert" are what draws in the research money or money from books).

H. Mortimer Batten was a naturalist and trapper of animals for Zoological gardens and was as well known in his day as, say, Chris Packham is today.  He set up unique camera traps in the 1920s and 1930s as well as photographed trapped wild cats -this (above)  is one of his photographs of a "genuine" Scottish wild cat which readers will note looks nothing like the "wild tabby" touted as the genuine wild cat today (although are beginning to state that they believe true wild cats are no more).

The wild cat was once spread across England, Wales and Scotland -in England and Wales they survived, despite what you might read on the internet, into the late 19th century. Once 'sportsmen' had wiped the cats from England the title of "The English Tiger" was transferred and changed to "The Highland Tiger".   It is highly likely that someone also used the term "The Welsh Tiger" at some point.

By the 1860s what were left in Scotland were hybrid remnants of the Old wild cat and the Extinct Fox and Wild Cat Museum has a few examples of these in the hope that one day DNA testing can take place. Why do we know that these remnants from the 1830s were not the original wild cat?  Firstly, as noted in 18th century wildlife books and publications, had it not been for feral domestic cats the species would have become extinct hundreds of years ago. The one thing "experts" blame for the decline in wild cats (inter-breeding with feral domestic cats) is what kept the species alive. As with the Grey squirrel being blamed for the decline in red squirrels, the domestic feral was the scapegoat species. The real decline and extinction, as with the original British red squirrels and other animals that were then replaced by European imports, were humans.

The Old British foxes were hunted to extinction, even though it was known this was happening, but to continue the 'fun' of the 'sport' foxes were imported from Europe. The same with some deer species as well as red squirrels. The 'sport' had to continue.

The Old wild cats were large and, obviously, striped. They were fierce and could take on and seriously injure or kill someone trying to hunt them. As with hares, otters and foxes there were special hound packs used to flush out and fight and kill (that was the whole point; the hunter had to get the excitement of the fight and kill) wild cats.  However, the wild cats had no problem mauling or killing the hounds used.  For that reason the hounds were given wide leather collars equipped with metal studs to prevent a wild cat "going for the neck" and killing them.  The wild tabby might be fierce in the wild but against a pack of dogs it would stand no chance.

I believe that there is enough anecdotal evidence to make it clear that wild cats from Europe (imported directly to hunt areas or purchased from the burgeoning animal trade markets) were released not just in Scotland during the 19th and 20th centuries but also to Wales and England.  As noted in The Red Paper 2022 volume II "Felids" we have several instances of "wild cats like those from Scotland" being killed in England right up to the 1930s/1940s. We also have the photographic evidence of rare taxidermies of these wild cats showing that some were hybrids and to get hybrids you need at least one genuine wild cat. The case of a wild cat shot in the north of England in the 1930s was also covered in The Red Paper. One was shot in a licensed hunting area by a doctor. The taxidermy long thought lost took years for me to find and its photo is included in the book as well as the fact that a similar cat had been shot previously in the area and that the land owner had turned out at least three pairs of wild cats for the shooting.

We find European wild cat DNA in the current Scottish wild cats because they were imports. In fact, it is possible that the wild cat in Western Europe today is also not the original European wild cat.

I have had the response to the work carried out since 1980 of "don't believe it!"  Has the person read the book or checked any of the very many references quoted (to aid peer review)?  No. And they will not because, as the gentleman in  Switzerland stated "I have been an expert in red foxes for 30 years and I have never heard any of this!" (and, yes, he too was unwilling to read the book).  The same applies with wild cat experts; you can be an expert on red foxes or the current New wild cats but blinding themselves to the existence of previous species is totally unscientific since we are finding species we knew nothing about previously on a regular basis.  It is like calling yourself an expert in reptiles but denying the existence of dinosaurs.

I never believed in stories of the Old fox types until my book and archival studies turned up reference after reference.  Ditto the Old wild cat. To deny previous species existed because you are an expert in the species existing today is neither logical or scientific -it is protecting your own little money maker".