It Could Always Be Rocket raccoon Lost?

The idea here is that everyone think it a destroyer of millions of pounds worth of something. 

That way they can kill it and have their 'fun'. 

However, I was a UK Police Forces wildlife consultant from 1977-2007 and there are a LOT of raccoons in the UK and they've been here for many years and not once was I told by a forester, woodsman or anyone else that they were causing mammoth damage. 

It's natural selection by human intervention. Move a species in and it survives then that's it. 

You can make a lot of money from wildlife tours.  

Happy to say that apart from the odd retard who wants to shoot the raccoon not many people (judging by the comments) are falling for this "nasty", "environmental damaging" line any more. Good.

Escaped Raccoon Caught On Film In Scotland

Conservationists warn the North American mammal could cause millions of pounds worth of damage if it became established in the UK.

14:55, UK, Friday 01 April 2016

The raccoon was filmed by a Scottish wildlife group

A fugitive with a "nasty bite" is at large and should not be approached, it has been warned.

Thousands of miles from its native North America, a raccoon has been photographed in the Scottish wild by a camera trap set up to record images of the elusive Scottish wildcat.

The footage revealed the furry mammal foraging in woodland near Garve in the Highlands.

Members of the public have been warned not to approach it, as the animal has a "nasty bite".

Conservation body, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), said it plans to trap and rehouse the raccoon.
SNH wildlife and non-native species manager Stan Whitaker said: "Raccoons could cause millions of pounds worth of damage per year to the Scottish economy if they became established here.

"They could also cause significant damage to our native wildlife by preying on birds, small animals and amphibians.

"Raccoons aren't dangerous but they may give you a nasty bite if cornered.

"The raccoon that has been recorded is an adult and roughly the size of a domestic cat."

SNH said raccoons have been identified in Scotland as one of the top 50 invasive, non-native species most likely to be introduced and cause negative impacts.

They are currently kept as pets and zoo animals, and there have been several escapes in the last few years.

Anyone who spots the raccoon is asked to report it immediately to the Scottish Environment and Rural Services (SEARS).

Case Proven

Six days since that last post and not one single comment.

Blog is dead.

Go to the Anomalous Observational Phenomena Face Book page.

In Case You Were Wondering....

Basically, I've been posting here but seemingly to myself.  I could just wait and publish a lot of the posts in a new book but the AOP Face Book page has attracted NO ONE and the silence here speaks "volumes".

That's why I've not posted.  I'm guessing no real interest.

One For The Naturalist Or Wildlife Lover -The Red Paper: Canids -Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Coyotes in the UK

 One for those interested in Wildlife -or cryptozoology!

  

 Terry Hooper

The Red Paper: Canids

Paperback, 

A4 (21 x 30cms)

202 Pages 

Photographs, illustrations and maps

Price: £10.29

Ships in 3–5 business days

http://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper/the-red-papercanines-vol1/paperback/product-20492038.html

 

By the 1700s the British fox was on the verge of extinction and about to follow the bear and wolf having been hunted for sport for centuries. 

 

The answer was to import thousands of foxes per year for sport. But foxes kept dying out so jackals were tried. Some were caught, some escaped. Even wolves and coyote were released for hunting and "country folk" were very far from "happy" -some even threatening local hunts -one intending to release a wolf for a hunt- with legal and other consequences.

 

The summation of over 40 years research by the noted naturalist and former UK police forces exotic wildlife consultant reveals the damnable lie of "pest control" hunting but also reveals the cruelty the animals were subject to and how private menageries as well as travelling shows.

 

Private menageries, or single exotic "pets" as well as travelling shows helped provide the British and Irish countryside with some incredible events such as the 1905 "vampiric" sheep killer of Badminton, the mystery hounds of Cavan and Coyotes of Epping Forest. 

 

The Girt Dog of Ennerdale is also dealt with in detail -was it a tiger? A Tasmania Thylacine? This book gives the exact facts and details for the first time.

Up-dated 2013 edition includes a section on sarcoptic mange in foxes and treatment plus a list of wildlife sanctuaries and rescue centres in the UK.

UP-DATE Two Possible "Wolf" Photographs From Germany

Two photos have emerged of "possible" wolves in the German countryside.

I actually learnt about these by checking out the Face Book page of Radio SAW -the German radio station I listen to while working.

The first of a "wolf" walking toward the photographer near Schartau bei Burg looks like an Alaskan Malmute to me.

 Below -the wolf photo

 Here is an Alaskan Malmute -head shape and colouring...?

The second the photo, taken at Krina in Kreis Anhalt-Bitterfeld is not great and could be a manged fox or, possibly, a Saarloos wolfdog?

The Wolf photo

And a Saarloos Wolfdog



Checking with the UK Wolf Conservation Trust to see if they agree (they see wolves on a daily basis)
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And the response from the UK Wolf Conservation Trust is:

" Hi Terry, The bottom picture is a wolf. The Top picture is quite poor quality & more likely to be a malumute. Thank you for sharing"

So,  Krina in Kreis Anhalt-Bitterfeld has a wolf. Just do NOT panic and go hunting it. Leave it alone.

British Wildman Report

I have never -never- found people calling for "science to take notice" as uncooperative before. I still get asked for the odd advisory from police forces as well as other bodies and my reputation has been built on looking at the evidence impartially -both on wildlife matters and other areas.

Perfect for the British Wild-man group you might think?

But, no. "Could I please use your photograph in my published notes?"

"No. It's my photograph and you can't use it!"

You might wonder why images of snapped tree branches, alleged footprints and so on are not for anyone but the little UK wild-man membership?

Just what the hell is going on -I've given long enough for reports, material and photographs to be submitted for study but nothing. Not one single piece of cooperation.

My conclusions will be part of the next book I am working on and so far it doesn't look good -but until its finished I'm still open to GENUINE accounts.

Me, The Pony-Tail Flipping Hawk and Avian Fun and Games!

  Above: Not great but between the "V" in those branches is the smaller, grey coloured male sparrowhawk -they see a camera they move fast!
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As you will know,if you invite "prey" animals into your garden then the predators follow.  Entice deer into your yards or gardens in the right countries then a predator such as a puma, leopard or even wolves/coyotes will follow.

The same applies with birds.  I've had a dove,pigeons, sparrows all killed and eaten by hungry sparrow hawks in my garden.  In the previous garden I had a kestrel (it moved so fast I assume that's what it was!) that flew in, rounded a corner of the house and flipped up the hair I had at the time tied up in a pony tail (sad -but I realised how bad it looked later).  Anyway, I was out cutting back brambles, bent over and something that was so silent pulled up the hair and I turned and just saw a brown blur fly round the other corner.

Puzzling but....

A couple days later I was in the back garden working on the large wildlife pond -same thing. A major "WTF?!" moment.  But the next week I was trimming back the bean tree when I caught a glimpse of the bird as it came from another direction and it flipped my hair again. We are talking a fraction of time 1-3 seconds and it was gone.

It was playing.  Practicing but it got bored and eventually took to the pigeons again.  

Now, the books all say that the sparrowhawk takes birds while in flight after a chase. One thing I have noticed in the last ten years or so is that these sparrowhawks do this, yes, BUT they will also actively go into hedges to try to catch birds -that includes trying to go into the heap of branches and twigs where hedgehog sleeps but dunnocks (hedge sparrows) were nesting. 

I've even seen it once pursuing birds on the ground and up into hedges. 

Above: the female (larger and brown coloured) was about 6 feet (1.4m) from me -bloody camera!)
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New behaviour developed or something ornithologists have seen but not recorded because it was "one off abherrant behaviour" so not something the species does?

The experts (a-hem) say "Chase and kill in air" and I cannot find one reference in any of my books to this hedge/tree/ground hunting.

up-date:

I can confirm that the male and female hawks are avian terrorists. 

I have watched their behaviour from my window daily over a couple years and I've noticed their entering hedges, etc. to try to catch birds. 

Above: Yes, she IS looking back at me.
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But this year I have noticed a difference. 

Collared doves are known as "hawk food" -they might chase each other but compared to wild pigeons they are gentle and hawks take them a lot. Today I watched the dove on the fence where they always tend to sit -either the pair or the lone one. It was there a long time and I thought "You need to move or one of the hawks will get you". Looked down but then up as I thought one of the doves was chasing the other off....but one then casually arced back and landed in the tree above where the dove had been. 

It was the female hawk. 

I've seen them do this with the doves, pigeons and other birds. Time and again there was no way that these birds -which move like greased-up-lightning could possibly not make a kill. 

They are playing. Whether this is similar to a leopard -there is very good night time footage of a leopard in Africa moving right into the centre of a group of antelope and then scaring them. Not killing but scaring them. Practicing its skills and having fun? 

The hawks seem to be doing the same thing. They are in fine condition with enough prey in the area, So this is practice.