Actually there aren’t any zebras featured in Dr. Roy Aronson’s Tales of an African Vet, but there are enough exotic animal patients to fill a wildlife preserve: gemsbok, elephants, crocodiles, and rhinos, to name just a few. Even African wildlife need occasional treatment from a veterinarian, and although some believe that sick or injured wildlife should be left alone, Dr. Aronson’s philosophy is that humane intervention trumps conservation. Dr. Aronson and his colleagues are willing and able to perform eyelid surgery on a lion, give a wolf hybrid a prostate exam, and repair a deep abdominal puncture wound in a baby rhino.
The challenges of working with African wildlife are many: the difficulty of even catching and subduing animals adept at eluding enemies; the danger inherent in frantic animals where slashing hooves, horns, and teeth could do serious damage to a vet; and working out in the bush poses unique problems for vets used to the exam room. Dr. Aronson relishes the challenges and truly enjoys working with African wildlife and experiencing the beauty of the African bush country. In Tales of an African Vet he shares some of his most memorable encounters with readers.