Tales of an African Vet by Roy Aronson

Summary:

The heart-wrenching and adventure-filled stories of a South African wild animal vet and his colleagues.

When do you watch a wild animal suffer and let nature take its course, and when do you intervene? In his more than twenty-five years as an African vet, Dr. Roy Aronson has seen and done some remarkable things. He has tracked lions and cheetahs, anesthetized rhinoceroses and king cobras, collared rogue elephants, performed eye surgery on a lion out in the bush, been attacked by a puff adder, come face to face with an angry hybrid wolf, and nearly lost a foot to a crocodile. Dr. Aronson has also worked with some of Africa’s most dedicated conservationists and wildlife veterinarians. He has witnessed their passion and bravery and been with them when hard decisions had to be made.

Tales of an African Vet brings together Dr. Aronson’s adventures in a rare behind-the-scenes look at those who treat wild animals in their natural habitat. For those drawn to outdoor adventure stories, African wildlife, or the veterinarian’s trade, it is a riveting book replete with rich insights into both the animal and human cultures of Africa.

Summary taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 227 pages
Source: Toronto Public Library
Publication Date: March 11th 2008

The time was October 19th 2010.
The place was World's Biggest Bookstore in downtown Toronto.

Mr. Turning The Pages had just taken me out to a nice romantic dinner and we were walking down the aisles (of the bookstore) and I saw a book on display that I knew I had to read but unfortunately I had already surpassed my book buying budget for the month and I sadly had to leave the book sitting there. Lonely and calling me back, begging to be taken home with me but it was not to be.

However, the title of this book never left my mind and a few weeks ago I was finally able to put it on hold from the Toronto Public Library. As you already know if it has anything to do with animals or Africa it's pretty much a guarentee that I may want to read it but if it has both than I am most definately going to give it a try.

I was so excited to read it, that I finished it the next day! Roy Aronson wrote the book with passion. You can tell right off the bat that he loves animals and hates to see them suffer. He writes with conviction about the plight certain species are facing like the rhinos who are being poached all for their horns. It's evident that he also harbours a deep respect for all creatures from hamsters, to cobras, to wolf hybrids and seals.

I loved the stories he shared within his book, he certainly has lived an exciting life and he is lucky to have been able to experience the wonders that he has and to have met so many interesting people that like him are involved with animals and their healthcare.

His accounts will strike a cord in you and make you want to head to your nearest zoo, aquarium, lake, ocean or forest just to see the natural world as it is. It will also make you think that things do indeed have to change if we are to ensure the survival of all the creatures great and small. I loved this book!  Roy Aronson wrote his book in an easily accessible way so that the young and the old can enjoy what is between it's covers and I can't wait to get my hands on his other book that he has written.

I would recommend this to anyone who has a soft spot for animals. This is also a great read for fans of James Herriot's books on being a yorkshire vet. It will make you really want to thank your vet when you see them, their jobs are hard and often dirty but they do reap the rewards when their animal patients get better but they are also human too and they hate losing a beloved patient to illness or natural causes. It's a must read in my opinion!

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★ ★ ★ ★ ★