David Taylor (1)Besprekingen

320/52-Περιέχει αναλυτικές περιγραφές , αναλογίες και χαρακτηριστικά απ΄όλες τις ράτσες σκύλων

For me, this serves more as a selection of fun ideas for activities with my dog.

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This is the second book of Taylor's I've read (the first being another one of his story collections- `The Wandering Whale') and I really loved it. Though perhaps his books may appear a bit dated now (written 30 odd years ago) they remain no less important and are a real treasure for animal lovers.

This collection of anecdotes and stories is based around Taylor's experiences as a `Zoovet' and sees him travelling the globe to treat both sick/injured zoo animals as well as the most peculiar of `domestic' pets. It is really extraordinary what was considered to be a normal domestic pet only a few decades ago! The mind boggles, actually.

Some of the stories are funny; some are sad but all really make you think. One particular tale involving a couple of pilot whales really does make you consider the audacity and stupidity of some people. Cruelty to animals is also broached a few times in the book- more so than in his other one I'd say, as travelling circus' are discussed as well as abandoned zoos. Taylor's love of animals always shines through however- despite how you may or may not feel about zoos and the like personally- and his writing is excellent with vivid scene setting and clear descriptions of his animals.

I am really glad I took a chance on these books. They are a wonderful, wonderful read. I'm only sorry I have never seen the television series `One by One' upon which Taylor's books are based- regrettably it was around a little bit before my time.

*This review also appears on Amazon.co.uk*½

This collection is the sixth casebook written by wildlife vet David Taylor, and the third I have read so far. I really enjoy these wonderfully written autobiographies; they manage to be both humorous and poignant, and Taylor's love of animals really shines through. He genuinely has their best welfare at heart.

From the outset the books may appear a bit dated, having been written almost three decades ago- but however you may personally feel about zoos, circuses or marine parks, they are still worth a read. I just love Taylor's accounts of his adventures and the numerous countries he heads to in treating his patients.

This book has its sad moments that really make you think- some of Taylor's stories prove to be prophetic actually, particularly how he sees the decline of some animals. One story recounts the mystery illness of Dolphin's in the Adriatic Sea, another looks at how one elephant keeper was unknowingly on the verge of killing their charge with kindness. My favourite escapade from the book though was the tale of `Melvin,' an octopus who went on the rampage at Heathrow customs! The book also doesn't shy away from the grimmer aspects of wildlife medicine, including autopsies and the potential dangers posed to Taylor himself.

If you like reading about animals in a non-textbook, down to earth way that doesn't come across as preachy, then you will enjoy Taylor's style of writing. I would recommend giving this, `The Wandering Whale' or `Next Panda Please!' a shot. They're lovely little books.

*This review also appears on Amazon.co.uk*

David Taylor is such a good storyteller, and his firsthand accounts of working with exotic animals are always interesting (and sometimes downright funny). In The Wandering Whale some of the creatures he treats include an orphaned walrus, a capuchin monkey in need of a caesarean, a stranded whale, another monkey with diabetes, falcons suffering from fungus in their lungs and an emu who can't lay its egg. There's also a self-destructive hornbill, a pair of pandas in a zoo reluctant to mate, and the heart-wrenching story of an orca suffering from a mysterious internal infection. Taylor doesn't have any qualms about sharing the more depressing, unpleasant aspects of vet work. It was really sad to read about the whale he struggled for months to save, not knowing exactly what was wrong but going through treatment after futile treatment (including ozone therapy, something I never heard of before). I wonder if nowadays it would be any easier to diagnose and treat such a sick whale...

The book is pretty focused on just telling stories of Taylor's work with the animals. He doesn't spend much time explaining background events. One chapter does veer into a kind of rant on how mankind exploits animals, even those we keep as beloved pets. Overall it was a really enjoyable read, with information that sometimes surprised me.

from the Dogear Diary

This one describes Taylor's work with animals at Belle Vue Zoo in Manchester, as well as his travels abroad to treat sick falcons in Saudi Arabia and the first panda to live in a zoo in Madrid. Among his animal patients are an armadillo who was kicked down a street by teenagers, a dolphin that needs a limp amputated, a deer with a dislocated eye, some killer whales with frostbite, cheetahs which have mysteriously been drugged, and young giraffes suffering from stress, on account of being included in a filmmaking project. The funniest chapter (although not its ending) was about a traveling circus where a chimpanzee took revenge on a parrot that constantly taunted him by sitting and crapping on his head while screaming dirty words at the crowd. The saddest chapter was reading about how the Belle Vue Zoo finally closed, and the difficulties finding places for all the animals to go. And of course like always, I was completely engaged with Taylor's easy writing style, and learning the interesting facts about animals.

from the DogEar Diary

A collection of stories about the experiences of a vet specializing in wildlife and exotic animals. He recounts working in a special hospital in Arabia just for sick falcons, solving a mystery of poisoned baboons, rescuing a pair of dolphins that had been abandoned in a posh hotel swimming pool, collecting semen from the famous albino gorilla Snowflake and devising methods for transporting large sharks, among other tales. If you like reading about wildlife, or veterinary work, it's a great book.

from the DogEar Diary

I've read many books featuring veterinarians which were hailed on the jacket blurbs as being comparable to James Herriot 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 throughout his career. 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 enjoyed the book very much.

from the Dog Ear Diary

This charming sequel to Zoo Vet relates more adventures of David Taylor, zoo veterinarian. In Is There A Doctor in the Zoo? Taylor relates 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.

From the Dog Ear Diary

I do rescue work with stray and feral cats so I really appreciate all of the useful and easily accessible advice and information in this wonderful book. It was written by a leading British veterinarian and the differences in national attitude toward cats is evident and rather interesting (I prefer the more humane British outlook.)
The book contains virtually everything one needs to know to choose and care for a domestic cat as a pet. There is a thorough section with beautiful photographs of all the different breeds, coat and color variations. There is ample information on grooming, feeding and nutrition and everyday care. It has unique diagnostic charts that show how to spot signs of illness and gives practical ideas for first aid and home care as well as advice on when to call the vet. It has a really great section on pregnancy and kitten care. The information in this book enabled me to save the life of a first born kitten born to an inexperienced queen that was abandoned by the confused young mother and left to get very cold and weak. I immersed it up to its neck in a bowl of warm water and massaged it according to the book's directions and "Lazarus" went on to become a very beautiful long-haired charcoal gray cat with four white socks, a plump and happy family pet. When my husband first found him laying on the kitchen floor he thought the kitten was already dead.
This book is chock-full of good advice that is well-indexed and easy to locate. It covers every aspect of a cat's health and life including feline personality and behavior. There are many good books on cat care and I've read a great many of them but this one is still my favorite and has given me the most help in understanding and caring for these delightful animals.

Slightly dated but very readable basic guideline to dealing with your cat.

A cute book about feline behaviour

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