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Foxes ,squirrels rats,bats

• Message 1. 

  Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Tuesday, 20th March 2012

  Not sure if this is 100% accurate but may be of interest to gardeners
  
  
  

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by hypercharleyfarley (U7444019) on Tuesday, 20th March 2012

  I think this is another of those things which are poorly researched but try to sound accurate and informative. The writer seems to imply that the grey squirrel is a long-established British native species, whereas it was in fact deliberately introduced into the UK at Henbury Hall in Cheshire about 130 years ago. It is generally agreed that they are one of the main causes of the decline in the red squirrel population.
  
  The bit about "inhaling rat droppings" made me smile. It''s enough of a clue - for me at least - to believe that the writer has probably never seen them! Perhaps it's the same person who wrote a piece in one of the on-line National newspapers today about looking at sundials in Oxford "as the clocks go back this coming weekend".

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by nooj (U13729031) on Tuesday, 20th March 2012

  I was told a lot of the statistics have changed since the advent of wheely bins - rather than the common sight of a dustbin with some extra bags beside it
  Makes sense to me

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by hypercharleyfarley (U7444019) on Tuesday, 20th March 2012

  Hi Nooj - odd, that.......... the council wouldn't give us wheely bins years ago because - they said - the wheely-bin lorry couldn't get down the narrow lane here. Policy changed, and so we eventually got wheely bins a year or two ago. The lane's exactly the same as it ever was, and the council still use the same lorry............... nothing changed except someone's "version" of the truth. ..... 'nuff said! Ma. X

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by garyhobson (U11055016) on Wednesday, 21st March 2012

  Personally, I feel that the animals always been here. What has changed is that people are becoming more aware of them (partly because of natural history programs), and we also have the technology (night-vision cameras) which enables us to actually see them.
  
  Another 'myth' is the existence of big cats prowling the countryside.
  
  Remains of two dead deer were found recently, at separate sites in Gloustershire. Samples were sent to Warwick University for DNA analysis. There was no sign of any cat DNA on the carcasses; but they were found to contain fox DNA...
  
  Report:

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Wednesday, 21st March 2012

  I remember that-the national media and some wildlife guru got all excited about this story until it was shown not to be evidence of a big cat -again-the silence was deafening-I think it got the tiniest of mentions as a sort of by the way comment.
  
  Till the next "sighting"

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by KatyNewt (U8507423) on Wednesday, 21st March 2012

  I thought I'd go through what some of the article says.
  
  "Added to that, commonly held myths that you are never more than six feet from a rat, that bats fly into your hair and that grey squirrels are responsible for the decline of red squirrels are equally as unfounded."
  
  I'm not sure about the rat statistic, but (although it's very rare and don't tell my mum as she'll never go out at night again!) I know someone who has had a bat land on them!
  
  "Their droppings carry no disease and are generally odourless."
  
  Overall, very true, but having smelt brown long-eared poo that had been left in a pot for some time, I can tell you it is certainly not odourless!!! I love bats, so I hope the view that they damage buildings and cause a nuisance is not widely held.
  
  Personally it really upsets me when people are fiercely anti-animal in their garden or neighbourhood, particularly as many of their views are based on myth and not fact. If we all just made an effort to understand our local environments better, we might not be seeing a decline in house sparrows, hedgehogs might be fairing better, and some of these myths could finally be put to bed.

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by Inajam (U14850695) on Friday, 23rd March 2012

  I have seen a 'wild' big cat.
  
  About 6 years ago I was a passenger in a car travelling westwards from Grantham Lincs on a road passing through arable farmland. It was very early on an August morning, the sun was up and the conditions dry and clear.
  
  On the passenger side of the road was a stubble field with traditional-sized straw bales in it (not the Big Bales). I saw a large black cat with a square-ish profiled head with rounded ears, powerful body and a long low-swung tail. It was much bigger than the straw bales - much bigger than and a different shape to a black labrador .
  
  The cat was about 150 metres away from the road (I can judge that distance well - my son was a 100 metre runner) and was walking away from the farmyard across the stubble field passing in front of some of the bales and behind others. As I said it was much bigger than the bales.
  
  I grew up on farms and have lived in the countryside all my life and am familiar with most British domestic and wild animals. I have absolutely no doubt at all that what I saw was a 'Big Cat'. I was so surprised I didn't tell the driver immediately - didn't want her to crash. By the time we turned and went back the cat was gone.

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• Message 9

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by TomBradbury (U3349234) on Friday, 23rd March 2012

  Hi Nooj - odd, that.......... the council wouldn't give us wheely bins years ago because - they said - the wheely-bin lorry couldn't get down the narrow lane here. Policy changed, and so we eventually got wheely bins a year or two ago. The lane's exactly the same as it ever was, and the council still use the same lorry............... nothing changed except someone's "version" of the truth. ..... 'nuff said! Ma. X  My council once said it would not issue wheelie bins to its residents because it encouraged people to throw out too much rubbish. Go figure that one out....!
  
  We've now got three wheelie bins for general, recycle and green or garden waste. I make sure I fill them all to overflowing just to keep council happy that its proven its point!
  
  

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• Message 10

  , in reply to message 8.

  Posted by pottiepam (U11118368) on Saturday, 24th March 2012

  Hi Inajam,
  
  You are so lucky. I'd love to see one.
  
  It was disappointing that the DNA from the deer carcass in Gloucester didn't show traces of big cats
  
  Some of the sightings are of domestic cats but you had the bales to estimate the size of the creature by. There are too many sightings by reliable witnesses to poh poh the idea of big cats in the British countryside.
  
  Years ago it was possible to buy big cat cubs from pet shops, even Harrods sold them. (remember the documentary of Christian the lion) and when the 'dangerous animals act' came in some people couldn't afford to keep them and they were turned loose.
  

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• Message 11

  , in reply to message 10.

  Posted by nooj (U13729031) on Saturday, 24th March 2012

  I believe my council will still not take garden waste unless you bag it, put it on the street and ring up for a collection
  I compost wyhat I can, but have to have a bonfire for really woody stuff - which they are also not too keen on
  You can take it to the tip yourself - but you need a car for that!

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