We Had The Answers 20+ Years Ago and No Funding

Back in the 1970s (yes, I did have hair) when I started up the work on a number of prjects including the Exotic Animals Register (EAR) was I thinking of making money?

No.

I was a young naturalist and my interest was specifically mammals although I had to branch out to various other species/ I wanted to put the silly claims that there were large cats -lynx, puma and panther- in the UK. That was 1977. By 1980s I realised that it was not all tall stories and hoaxes. How did I go about checking a report made? 

Firstly, I listened and took notes of what the person was telling me but I also had a map in front of me on which I, obviously, mapped sightings.  I checked the local geography and then I would ask questions -often for 40 minutes to one hour. There was a list of questions and each one added something more to the report. I am quite sure that most of the witnesses thought they were being grilled by the police (most of the reports came through police channels).

By 1997 I was transferring all the map sightings to a 1997 Collins Road Atlas of Britain with colours denoting what cat type was sighted. This meant that it became very clear that there were territories and answered a lot of questions which, in 2026, "Big Cat" groups in the UK are asking. And if you are still asking certain questions after 5-10 years then you are not looking at the data. That said I am glad that unlike most of these groups I am not adding domestic cats or exotic pet breeds to the record as that means the data base is useless.

Around 1999 the Daily Express newspaper asked me how much I wanted for my maps and data on "where the cats are"?  I had already been tipped off that a couple newspapers had provisionally hired 'big game hunters' to track and shoot a "British Big Cat". I declined the offer and also one from The Sun which had similar intentions. Yes, I really could have done with the money to solve financial problems but it would be, potantially, blood money.

Police forces in the UK were being fleeced by one very well known "big cat hunter" and others were also over charging for basic info. I never charged a police force a single penny for advice, looking at evidence or other information.

By 2000 we had DNA as well as a lot more evidence of large cats in the UK and this was backed up by decades of historical records studying. 

If youi see someone write that "big cats" were relased during World War 1 and World War 2 and later when the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act came in then the first two are based on the data I distributed in the early days of the work and most writers, etc were simply citing the DWAA before that. Those were early days and by 2000 all of that had changed as various cats had historical records going way back before WW 1 (as outlined in Red Paper: Felids and the 2025 New Native Species book). 

The Red Paper books were supposed to be a way of financing future research but it is very telling that none of the members of  "big cat" groups or others supposedly seeking answers has purchased a copy of any of the books. In fact even mentioning one got me blocked from one group and that was from simply mentioning that a certain photo came from that. Another group approved my post mentioning the Irish wild cat and the possible British big cat and then...removed my post, took all my Top Contributor and other Face Book stuff from me. Why approve and then remove the post and insult me to the point where being on the greoup was no longer an option? Truth.

Naturalists (at least us dinosaurs and we are becoming quickly extinct) never get into the work for money. Many do today and also for the prestige of "celebrity".   It should be about seeing if there is any impact on biodiversity and educating people.  

There has NEVER been a large (non captive) cat attack on a human going back centuries. 

Cats and other former exotic animals have not had any negative impact on existing UK wildlife but all seem to fit a natural nicheleft vaant by human created extinctions. In one area I was told that predation on sickly or injured deer had created  much stronger and healthier herd. Is my information reliable? Well, point out to me a naturalist who has spent 1977-2026 looking at exotic species in the UK and we'll compare data (unlike groups who seem to want and even demand data but will not reciprocate.

We sorted the "exotic cat" in the UK question over two decades ago and it never made me rich!

96 Pages

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For decades there have been reports of “Big Cats” roaming the British countryside killing sheep and deer. Are all of the observers from naturalists,zoologists, zoo personnel, police and others all mistaken?

Terry Hooper-Scharf set up the Exotic Animals Register (EAR) in 1977 to disprove the claims before become a UK police forces exotic wildlife consultant and member of the Partnership Against Wildlife crime (PAWS).  What he found out was almost unbelievable but with the gathered evidence including DNA results and bone analysis it seemed that there were exotic cats in the UK and that some had been here at least going back to the early 19th century.

The presented evidence saw the Department of Environment Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) force him off the PAWS scheme despite police protests.

Now read fact and not sensationalist press or fringe claims.

 

Mystery 'big cat' captured prowling near Scottish trout fishery...It could be a "Bangle" cat

 

When people start talking outy of their backsides regarding wild cat tails the one thing it tells you is that theyu DO NOT know about true wild cats.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/general/mystery-big-cat-captured-prowling-near-scottish-trout-fishery/ar-AA2c0zqh?ctsrc=dgst&ocid=edgdhpruby&pc=U531&cvid=6aa3b622cf584c85a02dd0124780e711&cvpid=b287da8777f74dcbc399cda05fb4c361&uxmode=ruby&ei=8

 

A mystery feline captured on camera has sparked a huge online debate – with some claiming it could be a ‘big cat’.

David Duff filmed the animal from his balcony at Ledyatt Trout Fishery near Lundie, Scotland, where he has spotted it regularly for 18 months.

He described the animal as being between a ‘Labrador and a cat’, with a ‘rusty brown’ coat, black stripes and rings around the tail.

His clip, filmed at the Ledyatt Trout Fishery in Lundie, Angus, has been viewed more than a million times.

Mr Duff said many had commented the animal resembled a bangle cat, a muscular feline with a wild appearance, however he insisted it looked ‘nothing like it’.

But he said: ‘It’s not conclusive; it could be a hybrid, a wild cat.

‘It’s very hard to judge the scale and beauty of the animal from that video.’

The fishery owner added the cat was meat lover, and that he had seen it around 20 times in 18 months hunting rabbits and climbing trees.

He said he was unsure whether the ‘beautiful and massive’ cat was male or female, but that he was not surprised it had chosen to make the fishery its home.

Mr Duff added: ‘He is very elusive; he is beautiful and massive – it’s just awesome to have him here.

 

A Scottish fishery owner filmed a mysterious large feline which has made the facility its home over the last 18 months (Picture: SWNS)

 ‘The terrain here is absolutely perfect.

‘There’s loads of animals – it’s a mecca for wildlife, and it’s no surprise that this animal would make it its home.’

Experts at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) suggested the animal may have some ‘wildlife ancestry’ and could be a hybrid, given where it was spotted.

The charity said it would not be able to determine the cat’s exact identity without genetic testing or further footage.

Mr Duff said he had also spotted another mystery female on his land, this one much lighter than the one pictured in his video.

He explained: ‘It’s a magnificent area for a predator. I wouldn’t allow anything to happen to scare wildlife away. It means I am doing everything right.

‘Whether it’s a domestic cat, a cross, purebred, it’s such a buzz to think that an animal has chosen to turn Ledyatt Trout Fishery home.

‘It’s a testament to everything we do.’

The large cat sparked a fierce debate online over its identity, with some believing it to be wild while others think it is a well-fed domestic pet (Picture: SWNS)

Hundreds of online viewers debated the identity of the feline, with some speculating it could be a wild cat.

One wrote: ‘What a capture! I would say wild cat with the stripes but hard to tell with the way it extended out her or his body.”

‘Hard to tell if it’s a wild cat or not. Tail would suggest it is’, another commented.

Others were convinced that the huge cat is in fact someone’s well-fed pet.

One wrote: ‘Domestic cat, tail is wrong for wild cat.”

Another added

Two NEW Publications: A Genuine British "Big Cat"-The Irish Wild Cat: Fact or Fiction?

 

 

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Terry Hooper-Scharf was the eotic wildlife consultant for UK police forces from 1977-2018 and when reports of “big cat” kills or evidence were received he evaluated the evidence.

In a high number of cases where a “puma” was reported the animals’ size did not match up even if facial markings were noted.

Other reports of panthers (black leopards) and black pumas  were also problematical and not explained as “baby big cats”. His interest in these reports resulted in police wildlife officers calling them “Hooper Cats”.

Video evidence was then received from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the police and  local wildlife enthusiasts. Everything matched up to some “black big cat” reports and once the basic information was gathered a good general description was of a black cat, leggy and the size of a whippet dog.

 There is no doubt that these were large cats but far from escapee exotics from private collections.

This paper presents the facts behind the Hooper Cats and what could well be called a genuine British ‘big’ cat.

 

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Ever since the 18th century many noted naturalists and zoologists have argued for and against the existence of a wild cat species is Ireland (Northern Ireland and Eire). At times the debate in publications became quite heated  to the point of name-calling.

Starting in the late 1970s Terry Hooper-Scharf looked at the archival mentions of such animals in both Irish myth and legend as well as observations by naturalists and reports they collected.

Based on the historical record there was no doubt that an Irish wild cat was no myth but it did not appear to be related to the English, Welsh or Scottish wild cats (distinguished from the accepted European wild cat hybrids of today).  There is no doubt that the latter cats were observed in Ireland up until the 1970s and as with others around the UK were likely imported for hunting.

The big clue lay in an Irish museum as noted in 2021 and in 2026 it is confirmed that remains of a wild cat have been found in an Irish cave dating back 5,500 years and so confirming the Author’s own research.

Britain's X Files TV show Dismisses eye witness testimony and Evidence

I was sent a clip of Blaze TVs Britain;s X-Files in which Richard Freeman of a certain cryptozzology group, stated that the Special Air Service (SAS) weresent in to track and kill the Beast of  Exmoor.

That is 100% incorrect. Fantasy.

Firstly, as I have noted before; the Royal Marines were involved and I have spoken to three of them over the years. They were NOT allowed to open fire on anything as a high powered bullet could miss or go through a target travel on and hit a cottage and kill someone. Live rounds were not allowed and the Marines were there to calm the situation down and hopefully stop the armed groups going out every night.

As I also noted before many times, the MAFF enquiry was sent to calm things down and NOT look for evidence of a large cat.

The program then dismisses, despite what was said, Big Cats as fiction.

Well, that's 50 years of my life wasted. 

Moronic TV continues.

As for the experts in make believe. the "folklorists".  they can go folklore themselves.

An "inauthentic" Polish Puma

 There is something very suspicious going on in Poland re puma sightings and video/photos. Even people in puma territory in North America are surprised at the number of sightings.

Read this one.... https://tvpworld.com/94927409/-poland-mountain-lion-sighting-cougar-photo-declared-fake?fbclid=IwY2xjawT0I-FwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5QAKk63lEcK3GD0JBswji6Fapt5Y6HyHcHH4wb21Nk9wxQ55PVucxpO7afoA_aem_N4CW8CaNGP2yMf8Umi0ObA

A photograph purportedly showing a large cougar in southwest Poland has been declared inauthentic, days after local foresters warned residents and tourists to beware of the animal. 

 

The Świdnica Forest District said police officers had conducted a thorough review of the photograph and available information, and that “the authenticity of the photo of a cougar near Zagórze Śląskie … has not been confirmed.” 

 

It added that its original warning had been issued “for precautionary purposes” and was intended to protect residents and tourists using the forest.

 

 “We thank everyone for their responsible approach to this matter and urge everyone to exercise caution when interacting with wild animals,” it said in a social media post. 

 

The reversal follows an earlier social media post in which the forest district said a camera-trap image provided evidence of a big cat roaming forests near the villages of Michałkowa and Zagórze Śląskie. 

 

“For many of us, the information initially sounded like a joke—there was no photographic or video evidence confirming the presence of an unusual predator,” they had written in the earlier post, adding: “Now, however, we have concrete proof.” 

Sensationalist Dogma or Facts? Publishers only go for one!

 

I was asked why I stopped trying to find a more traditional publisher to handle the prose books since they would have all the extra marketing skills etc to sell titles?  

It isn't so much that I stopped looking it is the fact that publishers are simply not interested and have moved away from reading and publishing and gone more for publishing by committee -with members and their own prejudices and biases. 

This is what I got from one publisher regarding The Red Papers last year:

"Dear Terry,

"Thank you very much for your message and for sharing the background to your extensive work in wildlife study and conservation, as well as the details of your two publications.

"We appreciate your dedication and the long-term fieldwork and research that support these titles. To help us better understand the scope and potential fit of your work with our editorial line, we would kindly ask you to complete the attached proposal form. This document will allow us to gather key information about the content, intended audience, and objectives of the books. It also outlines how to send further material should the proposal move forward.

"Once we have the completed form and any additional documentation you wish to share, our editorial board will carefully review the proposal. If we feel there may be a possible fit, we will be in touch to discuss next steps.

Thank you again for considering Lynx Nature Books. "

Now, considering that the company had as best a synopsis as I could give of the work which covers decxades of study, research and field work as well as gathering very rare images how else can you make  the work of interest to a publisher?

Controversial and against dogma -fully referenced from official publications and works that back up the statements and not "Well I heard" as seems more common these days. We now KNOW what the original British Isles wild cat looked like as well as the fact that we know when Scottish zoologists declared (in 1897) that the Highland wild cat had become extinct. It can now be proven  (not that it ever needed to be) that there were indeed three variations in Old British foxes.

Original: since 1900 dogma set it that meant that generrations have been misled by people who like to call themselves experts but who preach dogma. It has taken decades of archive research as well as investigation to not just prove what is stated in the books as facts but even more to get physical evidence in the form of taxidermy specimens to prove the case.

The Red Paper: Canids (2010) was called by the late Sir David Bellamy "explosive for British natural history" -and that version of the book was "sparse" com,pared to the 2022 version.

Perhaps publishers want to save themselves embarrassment from decades of inaccurate books they have published?

And, no, I never heard back from Lynx Nature Books.  I did hear from another publisher that my manuscript had gone through the first committee to be looked at, then that the second committee had approved "the book being listed" to be looked at. A year on and nothing. 

Three years ago I was informed by one publisher that with modern societal changes they needed to look at books and consider gendere diversity and ethnic diversity and what my book could contribuite to that. I was writing about researchy on wild canids and felids and just what the hell anything else had to do with that I have no idea.

Unfortunately, I am not included in the long list of virtue signalling tick boxes.

The Red Papers were accepted three times by a publishing editor only, a month or so later, the same editor telling me that "At the moment the book does not fit into our upcoming schedule".  I later learnt that one publisher was very unhappy with one of the editors as they had been publishing the modern, false British natural history for decades.

I have a big collection of books on or referring to foxes in the UK. Each and every one of the authors has just done what we would call today "copied and pasted" from others. An incorrect fact published in 1950 is copied (almost verbatim) throughout the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and ad infinitum.  Lying about factual history is never good.

Then we come to the "World mystery" books. Heavily researched and referenced with some -truthfully- very rare or thought lost photographs and images (we know they are lost images because author after auther states this...they just never went to the source material). The photographic image of the City of Brtistol that appeared in the sky over Alaska. Gone forever.. well, no. I found it. 

Many "mystery creatures" (cryptids) took years to dig down to the actual facts in the sources to sometimes surprisingly identify and only through archive research did I find a newspaper report of what might have been the first gorilla from Africa in the early 1800s.

The truth may well not be "sexy" or "hip" but for each animal identified or each mystery looked at and solved there are those that are not. You follow the facts and the reference sources to the truth -or the mystery.

Sadly, unless you scream "cover up" or push sensationalist  but provable false claims publishers are not interested. Back in the 1980s -yes, the 1980s- one publisher "loved" my manuscript but, in writing, asked whether I could not just add in claims of government cover ups, threats and so on to "spice it up"?  I responded that I could only write about provable facts and my own experiences and would not lie to spice things up. My book suddenly became very uninteresting!

I am an archivist, researcher and historian  so what do I do -just gather all the material in files andf let it gather dust until I am no more and it all gets burnt or thrown into a skip and lost forever?  No, I do what most stupid people like me do: self publish in the belief that people would sooner have fact that sensationalist lies. 

There are a lot of us stupid people around.

Macaque Walks Out of Zoo... Then Returns. Zoo Incompetence.

 Oh how did it escape the zoo?  Incompetence -unless it had access to skeleton keys and if not then stick with keeper incompetence.

-Credit:Highland Wildlife Park

Stephen Bark

 https://uk.yahoo.com/news/escaped-monkey-returns-enclosure-scots-170217937.html

Mon, 17 August 2026 at 6:15 pm BST

2 min read

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Luka the monkey has gone missing

A monkey which vanished from a Scots wildlife park is understood to have found his way back into his enclosure. Japanese macaque Luka was reported missing from the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore after he disappeared overnight on Sunday, August 16.

Staff at the park launched a desperate search to trace the animal and members of the public were warned not to approach him if they saw him. A thermal drone was brought in to aid the search.

When last seen, he was in the Balavil area. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which operates the park, said it did not know how Luka escaped.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) said the animal safely returned to the wildlife park "of his own accord" on Monday evening.

"The search has concluded successfully and Luka is safely back in our care," Darren McGarry, head of animal care at RZSS, said.

"He will now be looked over by our keepers and veterinary team before being carefully reintroduced to his group."

Mr McGarry added: "We want to thank everyone who has helped during the search, particularly those who supported our teams. Luka arrived home on his own accord and we are delighted to have him safely back at the park."

Earlier, Darren McGarry, head of animal care at the RZSS, said: "We are doing everything we can to locate the macaque using a variety of techniques in the local area including a thermal imaging drone.

"Primate group dynamics can be very complex and males being forced out of a group is not uncommon. Although the macaque is not dangerous, our advice is members of the public should not approach him and to contact 07769165117 with any details of a sighting."