The elusive polecat
Post categories: Springwatch
| 10:48 UK time, Wednesday, 27 May 2009
As you may have seen in recent episodes of Springwatch, Jamie and Jenny - our resident Polecat team are hot on the trail of a very shy polecat near Bala.
So far they've only caught fleeting glimpses of it on the stills 'camera trap' so we don't have any video yet...
We've dug this image out of the BBC Wales Nature gallery: It was sent in by a security guard at Talacre in 2006:
The only footage captured so far features a very fat cat that continues to eat all of the bait put down for the polecats.
If you own this particular moggy, perhaps you could keep it indoors for a few nights and give us a fighting chance?!
Here is a photo of the sketch that Simon King drew the other night to use in the programme:
I've suggested keeping the cat in the carvan, fed and watered for a few days until they've got the footage, but the team here wouldn't stoop that low, although Jamie (as you may have seen in last night's programme) did resort to dragging a dead 'road kill' rabbit around a field to lay down an attractive scent and yes... the fat cat made yet another appearance.
If it features much more, it's in danger of having its own show, so we really need your help in finding polecats in Wales.
The team head out each night and sit in a caravan near the polecat location, staring red eyed into monitors all night long until they return to base at Lake Vyrnwy around 7am to catch up on some much needed sleep.
There have a been a few more leads via the Springwatch message board recently so they will be followed up soon.
In the meantime, keep sending in your photos to our Flickr group.
Gull
Links:
Simon King's blog on polecats
BBC NE Wales on the search for polecats
Comment number 1.
At 21:53 28th May 2009, allwildlifecrazy wrote:In August 2007 we were on Conistone Moor in North Yorkshire. It was late in the evening and almost dusk when I saw a polecat trotting down the side of the road. I have absolutely no doubts as to what I saw. Hope this helps with your survey. Tanya.
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Comment number 2.
At 16:55 3rd Jun 2009, rabster4 wrote:read in local paper today(bucks herald),about polecat mother and four kits spotted from a hide at college lake nature reserve nr tring(bbowt)
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Comment number 3.
At 06:54 2nd Dec 2009, JOY wrote:POLECATS
I LIVE IN PEMBROKESHIRE AND LAST NIGHT THERE WAS A POLECAT EATING THE FOOD WE HAD PUT OUT FOR OUR BADGER FAMILY RIGHT BY OUR FRONT DOOR. IS THIS UNUSUAL?
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Comment number 4.
At 12:40 12th Dec 2009, Zoe wrote:I live in Risca right next to a section of the canal and we have seen a small mammal that looks like a polecat, but it was jet black. We have looked on the internet and can't find any pictures of completely black polecats.
Can someone tell me, is this a polecat or something else?
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Comment number 5.
At 11:42 24th Dec 2009, Paul wrote:Zoe
It sounds likely that your black animal was an American mink.
Paul
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