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tail - is to be seen in the countryside
throughout most of Europe, Northern Asia
and North America. It is, however, not
a common sight for it is a wary, speedy
and alert carnivore which hunts mainly in
the undergrowth.
The stoat was considered to be a common
sight throughout Essex at the end of the
last century. At that time stories of
them hunting in packs were common, when
they were frequently seen in rows on the
game keepers' gibbets. However, stoats
usually hunt alone, except when the young
ones are old enough to follow their mother,
when family parties (rather than packs)
of up to 12 may be seen.
Stoats are generally highly predacious,
following their prey by scent tirelessly
and persistently. Rabbits have always
formed a major part of their diet. It is
debatable whether the paralysis often
induced in a rabbit by the approach of a
stoat is due to sight or smell of this
predator; they are, however, very efficient
at killing this relatively large animal.
With the rapid spread of myxomatosis in the
mid-1950's causing over 99% mortality in
many rabbit populations, the stoats of Essex,
as elsewhere in Britain, were badly affected),
despite apparent changes in diet, a severe
reduction in numbers occurred.
By the mid-1960's a fairly steady rise in the
number of stoats recorded in the county had
begun, attributed mainly to the recovery of
rabbit numbers. However, during the past
15 years, and notwithstanding any under-
recording of the species, there does seem to