Zoo Tails

Oliver Graham-Jones recalls his time as the chief vet at London Zoo, and some of the extraordinary animals he met along the way

One puff adder, one antelope, one crocodile—this was the list of sick animals presented to Oliver Graham-Jones on his first day as a new vet at London Zoo in 1951. And his time at the zoo didn’t get any less strange or entertaining. There’s the time he anesthetized, and was then chased by, a gorilla; had to capture an angry polar bear in thick fog; performed a colostomy on a python; and fitted a raven in the Tower of London with a wooden leg. And if an animal escaped (more frequently than you might think) or required urgent medical attention, he was always on hand, ready for any eventuality. With his self-deprecating humor, Oliver frequently described himself as quaking with fear, but he was also skillful, brave, and, most of all, incredibly caring and kind to his animal patients.

In 1951 Oliver Graham-Jones became London Zoo's first inhouse veterinary officer and curator of mammals, and worked there for 15 years, before leaving to become a lecturer at the Royal Veterinary College. Desmond Morris is a zoologist, accomplished artist, tv presenter, film maker, and writer. He is the author of The Naked Ape, The Naked Man, The Naked Woman, and Peoplewatching.