DAVE SHARPE

I have been interested in Nature and keeping animals since I was old enough to lift up rocks in the garden and catch delightful creatures such as 'sowbugs'- Woodlice. My fascination for the more unusual and exotic creatures soon led my bedroom, as a child, to be filled with various vivariums and aquariums. Stocked at first with Stick Insects, Newts,and Grass Snakes. Until by my mid-teens, such things as Green Anacondas and even a Caiman Crocodile ( at this my long suffering Mum put her foot down !) Equally, what started as aquariums filled with native pond life - Water Scorpions to baby Pike, soon turned into marine aquariums containing such treasures as 'Blue Spotted Stingray' and 'Cat Sharks'. There were tropical set-ups with Piranha and Electric Catfish....

This fascination for the natural world has seen me searching for all kinds of animals and plants not just countrywide here in the U.K and around the Mediterranean but as far afield as the Rainforests of South East Asia, Central America & Australia too!

At the age of 16 a local Falconer gave me a trained Barn Owl, and I became a Falconry addict overnight!

Since that first Barn Owl (Barny) I have reared, kept, and trained various Birds of Prey, from Kestrels & Goshawks to Golden and Bald  Eagles - Barn Owls to Snowy Owls.

As a Husband, Father & now Grandad it becomes more and more apparent to me how privileged my own family are to spend time around animals along with time spent in the countryside. Now more people, especially children, spend their time watching television and playing computer games. As a result they have few opportunities to see, let alone develop an interest in nature. All this at a time when nature is under so much pressure from society.

And so, out of my love and desire to be around my animals, the constant need for conservation and awareness and the lack of opportunity for the majority of people to see and touch these creatures 'for real'

RAPTORXOTICS WAS BORN !

Dave also runs three nature based YouTube channels and regularly has his articles printed in falconry and herptology magazines and books.