Zoo Vet

Adventures of a Wild Animal Doctor
by David Taylor

I've read many books featuring veterinarians which were hailed on the jacket blurbs as being comparable to James Herriot (the latest being Creature Comforts) but they were never quite as good as promised. In David Taylor, I finally found a writer who stands up to the comparison. Taylor was the first veterinarian to specialize in exotic species. He worked for a number of zoos and wrote eight books about his experiences as a wildlife veterinarian. I've only read four of them, but want to get my hands on them all; they're great! Similar to Herriot, Taylor describes working before anesthetic dart guns and other modern conveniences for veterinary medicine were developed; he often had to think up ingenious ways to work with or treat dangerous animals. The writing is very informative about what goes on behind the scenes in a zoo regarding wildlife heath and treatment. It is thrilling at times with many narrow escapes, very humorous and quite engaging. I read Zoo Vet two years ago so I cannot recall any specific incidents to relate, or which wildlife species are described therein. But I know I enjoyed the book very much, and if I ever find it, will add it to my private library permanently.

Rating: 4/5                      Published: 1977 pp 255