Vet at the End of the Earth

Adventures with Animals in the South Atlantic

Jonathan Hollins

The passionate story of a vet’s care for all creatures great and small in the colorful, diverse, and distinctive South Atlantic islands.

The role of a resident vet in the remote islands of the Falklands, St. Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha encompasses many wonderful complexities: caring for the world’s oldest living land animal (a 200-year-old giant tortoise, denizen of the St. Helena governor’s lawn); 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 vet life 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 from the hustle of continental life.

Come join Jonathan on his daily adventures with these alluring and fascinating creatures.

Originally from the south of England, Jonathan Hollins graduated from Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and he has been a working vet for four decades. Since the mid-2000s, he has spent long periods as a senior vet overseas in the South Atlantic. He has written for the British national press and presented documentary features for BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4. He lives on St. Helena.

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Endorsements & Reviews

Early praise for Vet at the End of the World:

"A delightful, fascinating and entertaining book, ideal for anyone with a passion for the wild and natural world, and who dreams of escapism, adventure and challenge.” Dr. Hilary Jones, MBE

"This warm-hearted book makes you full of admiration for his spirit of adventure, and for his commitment to the animals he cares for.” The Daily Mail

"There is much to love, with each chapter a vignette of island life… all against a backdrop of spectacular remoteness.” The Telegraph

"Hollins has written an entertaining memoir… [and] writes with wit about relocating herds of reindeer, attacking a chicken-killing parasite and rescuing a missing dog from a cliff edge." The Daily Express

"A great veterinary adventure set in the wilds of the South Atlantic—highly recommended!" Gareth Steel, author of Never Work with Animals

"Charming descriptions of a life well led on the fringes; vividly told with compassion and humor.” Jonathan C. Slaght, author of Owls of the Eastern Ice