David Taylor (veterinarian)

David Taylor (veterinarian)

David (Conrad) Taylor, BVMS, FRCVS, FZS, born in Rochdale, Lancashire in 1934, is a veterinary surgeon. He qualified at the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine in 1956 and was the first veterinary surgeon to specialise in Zoo and Wildlife medicine. Taylor has worked with zoo and wild animals since 1957, consulting on some of the rarest species on earth. He is world renowned as an expert in marine mammal medicine and from 1968 was the vet in charge of the first Killer Whale to be kept in the UK - "Cuddles" the Killer Whale at Flamingo Park, North Yorkshire.

Taylor attended the inaugural meeting of the Federation of British Zoos in 1967 which was held at the Zoological Society of London. He was awarded the first RCVS Fellowship for a wild animal topic (diseases of primates) in 1968, and is recognised as an RCVS specialist in zoo and wildlife medicine. He is recognised for his significant contribution to the field of zoological medicine today. He introduced the first dart gun into the UK and was the first vet in the country to trial and adopt the newer immobilising drugs for large animals. He was known for inventive and unusual treatments, on one occasion successfully treating a haemorrhaging killer whale by feeding it black puddings.

Taylor has worked for zoos across the world. These include: Chester Zoo, London Zoo, Chessington Zoo, the now closed Belle Vue Zoological Gardens in Manchester, Flamingo Park Zoo in North Yorkshire, Windsor Safari Park, Parc Asterix near Paris, Marine Land, South of France and Madrid Zoo. He has also worked for some of the most famous circuses in the world.

In 1976 he founded the International Zoo Veterinary Group (IZVG) with his partner Andrew Greenwood and the Dinnes Memorial Veterinary Centre in Santa Clarita, California. Today, the IZVG is one of the largest and best-known independent zoological veterinary practices in the world.

In March 2008, Taylor retired from the International Zoo Veterinary Practice though he still acts as a consultant and continues to be a prolific writer.