Hi All

So, this is all now very real and deeply disturbing. As you know, Vattenfall stole one of our cameras from a known wildcat site. We replaced the camera and returned to check the area yesterday. We were utterly shocked to see the site of devastation that was once beautiful wildcat habitat. The picture above is the site where the cameras were. We now know why they stole the camera. It was because they wanted to suppress the evidence of wildcats before clear felling.

It gets worse, a lot worse. The second camera we put out was again stolen and this time under the cover of darkness. Our surveillance shows it was taken at 11:25 pm. It was pitch dark, so why were Vattenfall employees skulking around the forest in the middle of the night. If they felt confident in their action they would have taken it during the day when they are on site. This all just reinforces the underhanded, dodgy way, Vattenfall have conducted themselves and the lengths they will go to, to push forward with this development. They left a note which you can read on the below link. It needs reading to be believed. They are not even the landowners. Read it for yourselves. It reeks of the total disregard, arrogance and dismissive attitude towards Scotland’s iconic wildlife. There is no way they would behave like this in Sweden.  

We spoke to our lawyers before visiting the site yesterday and we were told to collect as much evidence as possible. We are able to show yousome of it. The videos were taken yesterday and show intense logging activity in prime wildcat habitat. Here is the link:

https://www.wildcathaven.com/news/stolen-camera-site-clear-felled

After collecting the evidence, we went straight to the local Police station in Huntly and have reported the logging as a wildlife crime. This is in addition to the camera theft which is still a live incident.

It also now also transpires that Vattenfall don’t have the required compensatory planting permissions in place. This breaches their license conditions. Our lawyers have now made this clear to the enforcement department of the council who are already investigating Vattenfall’s activities.

All this adds further weight to our allegations that Vattenfall’s logging activities are illegal. This is a quick summary:

According to Nature Scot, they have no record of pre felling surveys occurring.

Vattenfall have no license from Nature Scot to disturb wildcats.

They don’t have the required compensatory planning permissions in place.

They have committed theft and disrupted efforts to find wildcats on site.

 

As you can see, we are doing literally everything we can to stop this. We have provided the Police, the Council and Nature Scot, information and evidence about the alleged illegal nature of Vattenfall’s activities.

Thankfully, the loss of habitat whilst significant, is a long way off the total planned felling area. This is why we are acting so quickly as there is still everything to fight for. We must hope that the authorities do the right thing and investigate and act quickly. Every day that passes means more habitat is lost.

Alongside our lawyers we will push and apply pressure where possible so that the authorities act appropriately. We reserve the right to take legal action in the courts if this doesn’t happen.

This is all wrong on every level. The Clashindarroch was called a ‘wildcat wonderland’ by the government, it is not disputed that there is a nationally important population of wildcats there. It is not disputed that the wildcat is one of the rarest animals on earth. Yet a company owned entirely by the Swedish government is allowed to act with complete contempt for Scotland’s wild heritage.

So, we fight on and as you can see, we aren’t letting up. Every avenue is being pursued with vigour and we are confident that the evidence we are collecting is now so overwhelming that this development will soon be stopped.

Look at the videos and look at the devastation. Where wildcats once walked, now looks like an ecological moonscape.

As you have always done, please keep supporting our fight, we guarantee that we will not give up until the priceless Clashindarroch wildcats are safe and free to live in peace. Here is the link to our crowdfunder:

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/wildcats/

Thanks as always

Emily and a Wildcat Haven team with so much damning evidence.