A man tracked down "unexpected" apex predator livng here in the UK, leaving him convinced she's been brought to the country illegally. It's can be quite the shock to stumble across animals that aren't typically found on our land - especially apex predators.
They play a crucial role in various ecosystems; they sit at the top of the food chain with no natural enemies or predators. Examples of apex predators includes creatures like orcas, great white sharks, tigers, brown bears, komodo dragons, lions and more.
While the UK isn't home to standard apex predators, we do have animal species that dominate their respective habitats, such as golden eagles and red foxes. So it was quite a shock when a man visited the West Midlands and discovered an apex predator "living in the wild in Wolverhampton".
James Cook, who shares content online as Wildlife with Cookie, has amassed over 165,000 followers on Instagram, where he focuses on wildlife and nature.
In a recent collection of videos and photos, he chronicled his quest to track down "an apex predator that should NOT be in the UK," suspecting she may have been "illegally" brought into the country.
The predator in question? An eagle owl, one of the largest species of owl, which is not native to the UK. They're naturally found in other parts of Europe as well as Asia, while some species like the spotted eagle owl live in southern Africa.
People had been flocking to capture images of the owl following sightings at Wightwick Manor, a beloved Victorian manor house and gardens that draws tourists to Wolverhampton. Many had contacted James seeking confirmation of the species.
Equipped with "camera batteries, thermal binoculars, action camera", James successfully located "the beast", documenting his adventure on the popular social media platform. He revealed Wightwick Manor staff told him the owl had been spotted in the area on and off for around three years.
Alongside a collection of photos, he explained how he found the "apex predator in the UK" and continued: "It's not every day you get to see an Eagle Owl in the wild, let alone living wild and free here in the UK! But recently, I was fortunate enough to track one down in Wolverhampton of all places?!"
He praised thermal technology as a "game changer when locating animals" since "even owls can't hide".
James said: "Of all the information I managed to gather of this gorgeous looking beast, it appears that it's female, has no ID ring on her leg and has been living wild in the Wolverhampton area for around 3 years.
"I noticed a half eaten rat on the floor underneath her so I can only assume she's thriving!"
But she "shouldn't be here".
He added: "The Verreauxs Eagle Owl would NOT be able to travel to the UK on its own accord and therefore this is most likely a pet that has been released or has escaped captivity - due to the lack of an ID leg ring, I'm led to believe she has potentially been illegally kept and then illegally released.
"What's for certain though, is she's absolutely gorgeous and a rather unexpected sight here in the UK."
In the Instagram comments, fellow users were eager to weigh in. One said: "She's sooo beautiful but I can't help but feel sad for her living alone in the UK. I also wouldn't give out the location as people will end up disturbing her or worse trying to harm her."
Another shared similar concern: "Hope if she has to be then she's captured and not killed, she has been there for a while surviving on her own."
A third said: "It's great that it managed to survive the totally different climate! Still, poor guy or girl doesn't have a mate, very sad."
Someone else commented: "That's crazy Cookie, what a great find though."
James reassured followers: "It's on National Trust land, it's safe."
