"Oxfordshire"

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4th March 2007

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The spider that was found was a male, experts say they are very rare and are now hoping that there may be many more of these spiders nearby.

The Purse Web Spider known also as Atypus affinis

It's closely related to the US Bird Eating spider. The Male spider that was found is very similar to the female but has longer legs and a thinner abdomen. Their size ranges from 9mm to 12 mm and prey on insects.

Dr McGavin from Oxford university is now going to Goring where the spider was found to see if he can find some more, of which he suspects there are .

(Source: CBBC Newsround - 27th January 2004)

Contributed by:
Written by: Cher Jenkins

File: 2004-260
Ref No: 1787

On Friday the 14th January in the evening around the time of dusk, Greg Gilbert a bus driver was driving between Charlbury – Chadlington when he says “This creature appeared in front of the bus crossing the road. It looked like a Bear – big, brown and hairy, standing up on its back legs at least five feet tall.” Other people believe they too have seen the Oxfordshire Bear in nearby Wychwood Forest; this covers an area of approx 8 sq miles of deciduous woodland.

James Graham-Cloete a resident to the vicinity was driving through the forest one evening when he saw, “a large dark object” in the headlights of his vehicle just sitting by the roadside. As he slowed down to take a closer look at the animal he said he was positive it was a Bear.

The most conclusive of the sightings are those made by farmer John Blackwell from Dean, near Chadlington, he believes he has seen the creature some six time in September of 1992, he says he was in woodland near to the Council’s refuse tip site, when he was startled by an animal the size of a sheepdog, Which had slumped off into the trees when it saw him. Then he saw it again at the same location the following two nights, he said he’s sure it was a young bear. Mr Blackwell also sighted the creature again in February, and then twice at the end of May, by this time he said it had grown to about the size of a Great Dane. He has also come across signs of the animal’s presence, i.e. Claw-marks, large footprints and he’d heard a continual howling.

The County Recorder John Campbell says he’s keeping an open mind about the last few reports. “We’ve had Wallabies and Kangaroos in the Country in the past few years, so why not Bears as well?” He says there’s a tremendous amount of woodland cover, all across west Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds. “It would not be difficult for any animal to move over a wide area.”

Simon Baker, “MAFF” Ministry of Agriculture, and Fisheries and food, now known as DEFRA, says he has been monitoring mammal escapes for the past 15 years and hasn’t received any reports of previous Bear escapes in England, though several have escaped in the past up in Scotland. “A pet Bear should be registered, but obviously some are kept illegally – and things do escape from time to time. There is no reason why one could not survive once it got out.”

Dr Derek Yalden, a zoologist at the University of Manchester who has a particular interest in large mammals, is more skeptical. He thinks the biggest problem for a Bear out in the wilds of the UK would be finding enough food to survive without killing livestock, and there have been no unexplained losses from farmers of their livestock that could account for this.

Going by Blackwell’s description, Mr Douglas Richardson, animal collections manager at London Zoo, said he thinks the creature is probably a European Brown Bear – the same species that once occurred throughout Britain, and is at present in North Eastern Europe and parts of southern Europe. The Continuous howling he says is typical of a high spirited young bear.

Apparently if there is a Bear in the wilds of Britain, it posses a conservation quandary, as the European Brown Bear a is protected by law and listed in the Appendix 11 of the Berne Convention. This apparently requires the government to take “necessary legislative and administrative measures to ensure [its] special protection.” The Government may therefore, have to give the bear legal protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

It might even have to find it a mate.

(Source: The BBC Wildlife Magazine, Vol. 12 Issue. 3)
March 1994

Comments:
I have spoken with representatives of the "Oxfordshire Mail" who tells me that they believe there were no photographs taken regarding the pawprints or claw marks that had been found at the scene, and I could only dig deeper if prepaired to pay £5 an hour for the "Mails" librarian services, of which this became an abrupt end regarding our Whychwood Beast report through the "Oxfordshire Mail" at least, as only receiving incapacity benefits and having a very low budget myself, the voice on the other end of the phone might just as well have said £100 an hour.

But I understand that if they were to break the rules for me they would probably have to break the rules for others too, and a ship most likely y won't sail effectively without regular maintenance, so all I can say is keep up the good work, but please remember next time take some piccys.

File: 1994-116
Ref No:  1090

Comments:
We need further information on Oxfordshire Wallabies past and present.

File: 1980-53

The local wildlife Hospital said that the marsupials cannot legally be released in the UK, under terms of the Countryside and Wildlife Act.

Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Buckinghamshire has already had six calls for wallabies that has come to trouble this year so far. They have been killed on the road and also one has been reported to have drowned in a swimming pool.

A spokesperson from Tiggywinkles Wildlife hospital said “We're starting to get calls, especially from the Stokenchurch area, for wallabies, which weren't there before. "We only get calls about wallabies when they're in trouble. "The more animals you get, the more trouble you get. "They get in silly places, so we'll just get out there and rescue them."

(Source BBC News 31st August 2004)

Re- Written By: Cher Jenkins

File: 2004-268
Ref No: 1800

Comments:
If you have any information on a sighting in your area either single, or especially a Colony then please get in touch with us, as we would like to know just how many of these marsupials are out there.

Thankyou

Chris Mullins
Co-ordinator
info@beastwatch.co.uk
Tel: (01509) 551 621

She then looked on the internet, found us, and sent the pictures off for identification, immediately I recognised them as "South American Mara" otherwise know as the "Patagonian Hare" it was remarkable and I only wished I was able to get down there myself to take some video footage of this remarkable rodent, which I understand is a member of the Guinea Pig family, but alas finances had hit rock bottom.

The Lady who took these wonderful and fairly clear pictures of this animal, has requested anonymity, and as usual these requests are always honoured.

N.B. We at Beastwatch UK pride ourselves for trying to write only truthful accounts of all events recorded here, if you know of any reports within these pages to be incorrectely presented then please accept our appologies and contact us immediately letting us know the true facts behind the report, as it is not our intention to write any untruths here.

If you have any further information on any of these, or any other reports for this or other areas, then please let us know

Thank you

Chris Mullins

Co-ordinator
BEASTWATCH UK
info@beastwatch.co.uk