Bushy Park, famed for its deer, can now add a large crab to its list of wildlife after a dog walker was “surprised” to see the invasive species casually walking around on land.<br />The Chinese mitten crab originates in South East Asia with the first recording in the UK of the crafty crustacean dating back as early as 1935 in the River Thames. <br />It wasn’t until 1990 when the multi-legged critter became established before spreading into other river catchment areas – and their numbers are being tracked.<br />Andy Litchfield, who recorded the sidewalker near the Leg of Lamb pond in the ancient royal park next to Hampton Court Palace, has seen them a few times in the past “but never on land”. <br />He said: “I was walking my labrador in Bushy Park on Friday morning (October 6) when he stopped to sniff something on the ground, and I was surprised to see that it was a crab.<br />“I recognised it as a mitten crab as I’ve caught a few of them in the Thames when I’ve been fishing, but I’ve never seen one out on dry land before.”<br />In the video the crab adopts a defensive position raising its claws in the air as a warning when the camera gets too close.<br />According to Natural History, the crabs are distinguishable by their “furry” claws and they damage riverbanks and compete with native species.<br />The Natural History Museum is asking people to make a note of when and where people spot mitten crabs and to submit the details, together with a photograph to recording@mba.ac.uk.<br />There have been 800 recorded sightings of invasive animal so far with its range extending across the UK.
