Wandering Whale and Other Adventures from a Zoo Vet's Casebook

by David Taylor

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

David Conrad Taylor, BVMS, FRCVS, FZS, was a British veterinary surgeon. He was the first veterinary surgeon to specialise in zoo and wildlife medicine. Taylor worked with zoo and wild animals from 1957, acting as a consultant on the treatment of some of the rarest species on Earth. He was world-renowned as an expert in marine mammal medicine.

In the mid-1970s and early 1980s, Taylor wrote a popular series of autobiographical books that charted his life and experiences as a "Zoo Vet". These books were adapted for Television in a drama series, One by One. He continued to be a prolific writer until his death. [wikipedia]

Reviews

[Beka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't think I'd read this already, but at some point I must have because all of the stories were familiar. That being said, I always enjoy David Taylor's anecdotes of his life treating exotic animals.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was written in 1985... It was unsettling to read in the first chapter(s) his account of vetting wild orcas caught for the entertainment trade. Later at 116 pages in he reflects 'the ethical and philosophical aspects of keeping wild animals in captivity are complex and subtle'... I'm not going to finish this book.

Parts are interesting but overall I'm feeling a lack of sympathy for the animals he treats, and only a nuts & bolts 'mechanical' approach to his charges