Written question WQ99652
- Asked by
- Darren MillarConservative
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 3 days
Question
Which Welsh Government officials or teams are responsible for investigating reports of suspected big cat sightings, and which external organisations are involved in those investigations?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability (Llyr Gruffydd)
It is the Welsh Government’s policy to assess reports of alleged sightings of and alleged attacks by big cats on livestock in Wales. In cases where physical evidence is provided, trained staff from the Wildlife Management Team in the Landscapes, Nature and Forestry Division carry out site visits, collect livestock carcasses for postmortem, assess video footage, take casts of paw prints and investigate any other evidence indicating the possible presence of exotic species. The evidence collected is assessed with the assistance of experts in British wildlife as well as research departments in zoos, universities and the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
Since 2020, 18 alleged big cat sightings have been reported to the Welsh Government Wildlife Team by the public or the police. To date, no physical evidence has been provided to support the suggestion that big cats are present in Wales.
The Welsh Government do not have a formal guidance document as there is no requirement to inform us of any alleged sighting. Any alleged sighting which may represent a danger to the public is the responsibility of the Home Office and such concerns should be reported to, and investigated by, the police.