Vet at the End of the Earth

A vet's life with a difference: All Creatures Great and Small in the remote and distinctive South Atlantic islands

Hugely entertaining and affectionate, Jonathan Hollins’s tales are full of wonderful creatures and steeped in the unique local history, cultures and peoples of the South Atlantic islands, far removed from the hustle of continental life. 

The role of resident vet in the British Overseas Territories of the Falklands, St Helena, Tristan da Cunha and Ascension encompasses the complexities of caring for the world’s oldest land animal – a 200-year-old giant tortoise – and MoD mascots at the Falklands airbase; pursuing mystery creatures and invasive microorganisms; relocating herds of reindeer; and rescuing animals in extraordinarily rugged landscapes, from subtropical cloud forests to volcanic cliff faces. 

Hugely entertaining and affectionate, Jonathan Hollins’s tales of island vetting are not only full of ingenuity and astounding fauna – they are also steeped in the unique local cultures, history and peoples of the islands, far removed from the hustle of continental life.