§ Mr. CawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent reports she has received of an attack by a puma on a horse in north Lincolnshire. [118040]
§ Mr. MorleyThis Department was asked by the Police investigating injuries to a horse in North Lincolnshire for advice on the possibility that these were caused by an attack by a puma. The Department has not made its own investigation.
Puma are not native to the UK and are not naturally found in the wild in this country. The Department is not aware of any confirmed instances of a puma or other big cats of unknown origin being found out of captivity in England in the last 20 years. Injuries to domestic animals are more likely to be due to other causes. Dogs are sometimes involved.
The release of puma into the wild is prohibited under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and possession of this species is regulated under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 and Zoo Licensing Act 1981.