INTERNATIONAL ZOO VETERINARY GROUP
PRACTICE NEWS



Sep 24

Job Vacancy - Animal Health Technician.

Job Vacancy - We are seeking to recruit an experienced, full-time Animal Health Technician.
Full details of the vacancy can be found here.
The application form for the vacancy can be found here.
To apply, please send a covering letter, CV and application form to ahef@izvg.co.uk

Applications close on 6th October 2024.


Jun 23

IZVG Welcomes our new veterinary surgeon - Matt Siddle.

We are very pleased to welcome Matt Siddle to our clinical team!
Matt graduated from the University of Glasgow in 2016 and subsequently worked for three years with small, farm, exotic, and zoo animals in Northumberland. In 2019, he moved to Canada for a one-year exotic, zoo, and wildlife internship at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatchewan. In 2020, he moved to Hong Kong to work at a large, exotic animal referral hospital where he stayed for 3 years before joining IZVG.
He has completed externships at Dallas and Edinburgh Zoos as a student, published articles in peer-reviewed journals, and has attended multiple exotic and zoo conferences. He attained a post-graduate certificate in exotic animal practice in 2018 and is a RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine.
Matt is based in Yorkshire.


Dec 22

IZVG Welcomes our new veterinary surgeon - SJ Smith.

We are very pleased to introduce SJ Smith, who joins our clinical team!
SJ graduated from The Royal Veterinary College in 2012. In addition to her veterinary medicine degree, she also has a degree in Conservation Medicine from University of Liverpool. SJ spent the first part of her veterinary career working in general practice looking after pets, farm animals, wildlife and zoo animals throughout the South West of England and the Greater Sydney area, Australia, before joining Marwell Wildlife, where she worked for 6 years. She has previously held posts on the councils of The British Veterinary Zoological Society and BIAZA, and currently leads the BIAZA bovine TB focus group. SJ enjoys working with all species, but is particularly fond of anything with feathers or scales. She has a particular interest in geriatric animal care and human factors in animal care, including animal carer mental wellbeing.
When not working, SJ can usually be found running or crocheting zoo animals for her niece and nephew; she is yet to find a way of successfully doing both at the same time!


Dec 22

Goodbye and good luck Nic.

Please join us in wishing vet Nic all the very best in his exciting adventure.
Nic has accepted the position of Director, Wildlife Health at Toronto Zoo, starting in January 2023. Toronto Zoo has a very strong tradition and track record in conservation science and, with its 50th anniversary fast approaching in 2024, has launched a new strategy and masterplan reflecting this. Nic will lead the Wildlife Health department to deliver excellent health and welfare for the large and diverse animal collection, and to contribute wildlife health expertise in all the zoo’s research, training, and conservation activities.
Its been great Nic, good luck.


Feb 22

Goodbye vet Steph.

Please join us in wishing vet Steph all the very best in her next adventure.
Steph has been working with IZVG for the last two years and will have met many of our clients during visits. She is now sadly leaving us to return to Australia her family.
Its been a pleasure Steph, good luck.


Jan 22

IZVG Welcomes our new Pathologist - Andrew Rich.

We are very pleased to introduce Andy Rich, who joins our pathology team this week!
Andrew qualified from the University of Liverpool and worked in equine and companion animal practices in the Scottish Highlands, developing his own exotics service, before undertaking a residency in anatomic veterinary pathology at the University of Liverpool (2017-2020). During his residency, he developed special diagnostic and research interests in aquatic, zoological and exotic pet pathology through the Chester Zoo Diagnostic Pathology Service at the Leahurst Campus. Following his residency, he worked for a private UK diagnostic pathology lab where his main duties included cytology, histopathology, ocular pathology, haematology, and microbiology, covering small and large companion animals, plus zoo animal and exotic pet submissions for which he was solely responsible. In 2021, he became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Pathologists (DiplECVP). In January 2022, he joined the International Zoo Veterinary Group as a veterinary anatomic pathologist. He is passionate about research and has already published over 10 articles/scientific proceedings focussed on zoo/exotic animal/aquatic and domestic animal pathology, including Nectarivorous bird emphysematous ingluvitis (NBEI): A novel disease in Loriinae birds associated with Clostridium perfringens infection.
Having come from a clinical-background, Andrew is keen to work with clients to research and develop criteria for prognostic assessment of various diseases, especially neoplasia of zoo/exotic and aquatic species, alongside undertaking retrospective reviews to identify the most common forms of diseases in currently less-studied species.


Nov 2021

IZVG Welcomes our new Veterinary Surgeon - Rowena Killick.

We are very pleased to welcome Rowena Killick, who joins our veterinary team this week!
Rowena qualified as a vet over 20 years ago and spent the first few years of her career working in general vet practice. She completed an MSc in Wild Animal Health at ZSL/RVC in 2005, spent another year in a mixed and exotics practice in West Sussex and then completed a 3-year University of Bristol residency at Bristol Zoo Gardens, training as a zoo vet. Shortly after that she was offered a permanent position at Bristol Zoo Gardens as a staff vet and has been there ever since, until a couple of weeks ago when she left to join IZVG. She worked with all the taxa at BZG, including invertebrates and fish, and also at Wild Place Project, BZGs sister site, once that opened in 2013. She enjoys working with all species and is passionate about training of zoo animals to reduce the stress of veterinary treatment and procedures. Her other favourite subject is vitamin D/UVB.
She does of course have a few animals of her own, but apart from 5 giant spiny stick insects they are of the more mundane variety 2 moggies and a couple of small human primates! The small human primates take up a lot of her spare time, but also make sure she gets plenty of exercise and give her an excuse to watch Star Wars!
Welcome to IZVG Rowena.


Nov 2021

IZVG Welcomes our new Veterinary Surgeon - Elliott Simpson.

We are very excited to introduce Elliott Simpson, who today joins our growing team of veterinary clinicians!
Elliott graduated from Bristol in 2014. He has steadily built up his experience working with a range of zoo collections and private exotic animal owners in the East of England, as well as gathering his own growing menagerie. In his spare time, Elliott tells us he will quite frankly entertain most hobbies that are an excuse to get outside and lose himself in the countryside, apart from downhill mountain biking, which in flat Norfolk where he is based is quite the challenge! Welcome to IZVG Elliott.


Oct 2021

IZVG Welcomes our new Animal Health Technician - Bryony Andrews.

This week, we have welcomed a new team member! Based in Weymouth, Bryony Andrews has joined us as an Animal Health Technician, alongside Derek and Jo. Bryony graduated from University of Plymouth in 2013, with an MSc in Zoo Conservation Biology. She spent time working in various zoo and aquarium collections across the south coast before taking a supervisory position in collection management. She is also particularly interested in animal transport welfare. In her spare time Bryony is found exploring the countryside with her naughty Border Terrier, Ralph.


Nov 2020


The late Dr John Lewis.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr John Lewis.
John was a partner at IZVG and a founder of Wildlife Vets International.
John qualified from Cambridge in 1978 and studied for a PhD in oncology. He worked at ZSL as a pathologist and clinician before joining International Zoo Veterinary Group, a practice dedicated to zoo, aquatic and exotic animal medicine, in 1985. He became a partner in 1988.

Known for his passion for big cats, John founded Wildlife Vets International with fellow wildlife vet, Andrew Greenwood. WVI is a British charity that supports vets and conservationists to use veterinary science to protect endangered species. Not only did he provide WVI with direction and advice, John participated in numerous conservation projects, most notably with tigers throughout their range and on the Reintroduction of the Amur Leopard into the Russian far east.

Despite his big cat focus, John was considered an expert in primates, elephants, marine mammals and zoo and wild animal anaesthesia. Dr Lewis was also veterinary adviser to the Amur Leopard and Tiger EEPs (EAZA Ex-Situ Programme) and a member of the IUCN SSC (Species Survival Commission) Cat specialist group.

Commenting on his death, Olivia Walter, Executive Director of WVI, said: We are devastated to lose John, a mentor and an inspiration for so many zoo and wildlife vets and biologists for the last 35 years. Through his passion for the conservation of big cats he truly became a world leader in his field. His skill and dedication with field work, including his expertise in field anaesthesia, were second to none. He inspired many and his passing is an unimaginable loss to wildlife veterinary medicine.

Dr Sue Thornton, Senior Partner at IZVG, said: The messages of support from vets, biologists and zookeepers we have received are consistent in their praise for Johns willingness to pass on his knowledge and expertise to all who worked with him or attended conferences or workshops with him. Within IZVG he was always willing to discuss a case with a colleague and was equally willing to admit when he did not know the answer. His anecdotes and admissions of failure were often delivered with great humility and humour.

We and the animals he has cared for have all benefited from Johns knowledge and veterinary skills. His passing is a huge loss to the whole zoo and wildlife conservation industry. He has, however, left a legacy in the charity Wildlife Vets International, as well as his more recent project to develop a website (Wildtigerhealthcentre.org) to support rangers and conservation vets and biologists in the care of wild tigers.

To leave a message of condolense please visit www.tolbc.com/DrJohnLewis


2019



Andrew and Johanna - We wish you all the very best on your retirement.

Andrew joined David Taylor as a partner in 1973 and, in 1976, they together formed the International Zoo Veterinary Group. Throughout his career Andrew has acted as veterinary advisor to a huge number of zoo groups and committees along with providing invaluable advice to wildlife projects. He was one of the founders of Wildlife Vets International, along with the late Dr John Lewis. In addition, Andrew has written and contributed to many published papers on a wide range of topics.
Johanna graduated from the Veterinary School of Giessen University, Germany. She was formerly Technical Director of the Madrid Zoo and resident vet at Loro Parque, Tenerife, where she cared for over 3000 parrots, dolphins and chimpanzees. Specialising in avian and reptile medicine and surgery, Johanna offered a first opinion and referrals clinic in Bradford for 30 years, where the majority of her time was dedicated to the medicine, surgery and husbandry of pet birds and reptiles.
Johanna retired in 2017 and the Bradford clinic was permanently closed at the time. Andrew permanently retired in 2019, after a two year period of partial retirement. Both are still very closely associated with IZVG and continue to offer their advice and expertise to the team, acting as consultants on a variety of cases.



International Zoo Veterinary Group LLP
Station House,
Parkwood Street,
Keighley,
BD21 4NQ

IZVG supports WILDLIFE VETS INTERNATIONAL

registered charity no. 1109670
Veterinary Support for Conservation Worldwide

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International Zoo Veterinary Group is a trading name of IZVG LLP, a limited liability partnership no. OC361054,registered England

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