Wrestling with Rhinos: The Adventures of a Glasgow Vet in Kenya [Paperback]

This book was published in 2002, has 390 pages, 44 B/W photos, 51 colour pictures and 3 maps. JERRY HAIGH was born in NAIROBI, Kenya and returned there in 1965 after graduating from Vetenary College, Glasgow, Scotland. He started in Kabete Vetenary faculty. One of his clients was Mzee President Jomo Kenyatta. He married JOPIE, a Dutch doctor, who was brought up and educated in India. This book is dedicated to his family Jopie, Karen and Charles. The cover photo of this book , of a charging black rhino, was taken by Peter Beard.
Dr Haigh helps Dr Toni and Susanne Harthoon, with a cheetah with broken 2 hind legs. After 1 years intern, he was back in UK. After 6 months saty in UK, Dr Haigh is back in Kenya, posted as a District Vetenary Officer at MERU. He meets George ADAMSON, Joy Adamson at Leopard Rock Camp in Meru. On 25.1.1969, Jerry and Jopie are married, with honeymoon at Mount Kenya Safari Club, Nanyuki. They then travel to South Africa, Holland and Scotland. Their daughter Karen is then born.
After 4 and 1/2 years contract at Meru, they moved to Nanyuki to start their private practice, with Jopie working at the Nanyuki Cottage Hospital. Dr Haigh gets an abdominal injury from a rhino. Then he is offered a job at Western College of Vetenary Medicine, Sashatoon, Sashatchewan, Canada in 1975. At Nairobi their son Charles is born. Dr Haigh felt that Zoo kept him busy and Jopie finds a job with paediatric department. Their hearts were still in Kenya. They visit Kenya many times and the last time in 1996.
There are many stories of vet dealing with domestic and wild animals and birds in this book. Dr Haigh also meets famous people like, William Holden, Bill Woodley, Peter jenkins, Ian Parker and Tony Archer. Other books with similar theme are:-
(1) Trouble With Lions, A Glasgow Vet in Africa, Jerry Haigh 2008
(2) And Miles to go Before I Sleep, A British Vet in Africa, Hugh Cran 2007
(3) Tales of an African Vet, Roy Aronson 2010
(4) Vet in Africa, John Smith 1997
(5) Life with Daktari (Two Vets in East Africa), Susanne Hart 1969
(6) Listen to The Wild, Susanne Hart 1972
(7) Too Short a Day, A Woman Vet in Africa,(The Tame and The Wild) Susanne Hart 1967
Having born in Kenya, I enjoyed reading this book.
Read and ENJOY.

I bought this book because I wanted to learn more about life as a vet, and life in Kenya. The book provided a great insight into both. I particularly enjoyed the historical perspective on what life was like in rural Kenya a few years ago, and many of the anecdotes about working with farmers were engaging and interesting. Although some of the descriptions of rhino and elephant catching I found got a bit long, I was engrossed during most of the book and would recommend it to anyone interested in wildlife, Kenya or vet medicine.