Apr 6, 2008

Is There a Doctor in the Zoo?

by David Taylor

This charming sequel to Zoo Vet relates more adventures of David Taylor, zoo veterinarian. In Is There A Doctor in the Zoo? Taylor tells about his childhood interest in animals, convalescing rabbits and hedgehogs in his family's bomb shelter, learning from his grandmother how to sew stitches, applying denture paste to injured amphibians and bicycle tire patches to broken turtle shells. His career began in a normal vet practice, where he worked on cattle, dogs and cats as well as more exotic pets like parrots and pythons. Eventually Taylor worked his way onto the grounds of the zoo, becoming one of the first vets to specialize in wildlife. His services were in enough demand that he traveled to foreign countries to treat colicky giraffes and assist in the capture and transport of wild dolphins. Back at home in the zoo, the regular patients included a diabetic camel, a monkey who hid razor blades in his cheek, a puma which unraveled and swallowed an entire ball of string, vitamin deficient sea lions, a semi-paralyzed lion cub, and many more. Several amusing incidents are also told- like the time a monkey tore apart the interior of a bishop's car, the celebrity "pets' luncheon" disaster, and a chimpanzee who decided to assist in the treatment of a dozen mangy camels. Hilarious, interesting, and sure to be loved by any fan of James Herriot.

Rating: 4/5                 250 pages, 1978

8 comments:

  1. Thanks for visiting my blog. This book sounds like a fun read. BTW, I wasn't supposed to publish my post on "Seasons of Sacrifice" until May 3 so come back and comment on it then.

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  2. I have to giggle at the comment above. I also tried to comment on Framed's Seasons of Sacrifice post and couldn't. :) Glad I wasn't the only one!

    Anyway, hilarious? My kind of book; sounds like a hoot!

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  3. Hooray! Great review...I couldn't have described it better myself. This will definitely be one of my re-reads. Now I'm on the lookout for Zoo Vet.

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  4. I think you'll like Zoo Vet too, Bybee. I'm trying to find the other six books he's written to read!

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  5. You're a winner in my BAFAB contest. :) Come on over to find out more!

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  6. Hi Jeane! I can't find your e-mail address so I can e-mail you the list of books. Can you e-mail me at astripedarmchairATgmailDOTcom? Thanks!

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  7. Hey Eva, I tried to send you an email this morning... my email's listed under my "Review Policy".

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  8. Sounds like an excellent book for animal lovers. Thanks for the review.

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