Breeding polecats in London

[rich59]

I was out in my local park photographing fungi when my attention was drawn by another park user to a more unusual sighting. It was the young of something in the ferret/ stoat family with very distinctive facial markings. It was not easy to photo though as I hadn't got a zoom lens. The passer by also said they had just seen an adult of it too crossing the road just a few minutes before. I nipped home and looked up what I had seen. This is it (not my picture)

I then went back with a camera with a zoom and a sqawking magpie told me where it was. But it was too far away and too dark.

So whether it was a fully wild parent and child or whether it was an escapee it seemed to be breeding and living wild now.

I have looked up a bit about polecats. The confirmed sightings don't yet extend to London, so it seems I am lucky to see it.

 

[Hunter_zero]

I was out in my local park photographing fungi when my attention was drawn by another park user to a more unusual sighting. It was the young of something in the ferret/ stoat family with very distinctive facial markings. It was not easy to photo though as I hadn't got a zoom lens. The passer by also said they had just seen an adult of it too crossing the road just a few minutes before. I nipped home and looked up what I had seen. This is it (not my picture)

I then went back with a camera with a zoom and a squawking magpie told me where it was. But it was too far away and too dark.

So whether it was a fully wild parent and child or whether it was an escapee it seemed to be breeding and living wild now.

I have looked up a bit about polecats. The confirmed sightings don't yet extend to London, so it seems I am lucky to see it.

It will not be a true Polecat.

You will have seen an escaped "Polecat coloured" domestic ferret. Check the area and you'll likely find a few rabbit warrens. Chances are some creature of the night lost his ferret.

John

 

[spamel]

They are beautiful animals though, my dad had one when we were younger, and it was a fantastic pet. My mum was totally scared of it though, when dad went away on some Naval jaunt or other, it would be down to my older brother and myself to clean and feed Ricki, as she was scared to put her hands in to the cage in case she was bit!

Unfortunately, Ricki got hold of a piece of plastic from somewhere, ate it and died from suffocation. My dad never got another as mum went and bought a rabbit :aargh4:

 

[rich59]

Looking closely at the mammal society survey I think I might agree. I am outside the distribution area of the real mccoy, so most likely it is an escaped one/ two. However adult and infant together does suggest breeding in the wild and that is unusual for ferrets I understand.