I would have to say the biggest inspiration to me is my father, as it
is he who first inspired me as a child to develop an interest in the
animal kingdom - my father was a Taxidermist for 50 years and is a
brilliant naturalist, and even as an adult he consistently
amazes me with what he knows, often informing me of something I was
previously unaware of - usually something ornithogical. As for my interest in Cryptozoology I would have to say it was
reading the works of Bernard Heuvelmans, Karl Shuker and then later, Jonathan Downes.
My long term aims are to continue working in zoology at Stratford upon Avon Butterfly Farm and
to continue my travels searching for species of interest, and to seek
out and document any cryptozoological reports along the way.
After my next Borneo expedition in November - investigating
claims of 10 metre+ reticulated pythons, I will be seriously considering
trips to both Sumatra - mainly in search of its "forgotten Ape", the
orang pendek -and to Tazmania for any credible evidence
of surviving thylacines.
