A moray eel diagnosed with anorexia…A herd of bison whose only hope is a crusading female doctor from Paris…A vet desperately trying to save an orphaned whale by unraveling the mystery of her mother’s death…This fascinating book offers a rare glimpse into the world of exotic animals and the doctors who care for them. Here pioneering zoological veterinarians—men and women on the cutting edge of a new medical frontier—tell real-life tales of daring procedures for patients weighing tons or ounces, treating symptoms ranging from broken bones to a broken heart, and life-and-death dramas that will forever change the way you think about wild animals and the bonds we share with them.

From a root canal on a three-thousand pound hippo to one doctor’s heartbreaking effort to save a critically ill lemur, here are acts of rescue, kindness, and cross-disciplinary cooperation between zoo vets and other top scientists. We meet highly trained specialists racing against time and circumstance to save the lives of some of the most exotic animals in the world. Shoes designed for racehorses help a rhinoceros with a debilitating foot disease. A kangaroo survives spinal surgery performed by a leading human doctor. These unforgettable stories capture the bonds that develop between vets and their animal patients, the ingenious measures many vets have tried, and the remarkable new insights modern medical technology is giving us into the physiology and behaviors of wild animals.

At once heart-quickening and clinically fascinating, the stories in this remarkable collection represent some of the most moving and unusual cases ever taken on by zoological vets. A chronicle of discovery, compassion, and cutting-edge medicine, The Rhino with Glue-on Shoes is must reading for animal lovers, science buffs, and anyone who loves a well-told tale.

"These entertaining essays offer insight into a world of singular strangeness — of giant panda colonoscopies and anorexic moray eels — modern zoological medicine in short, a field where the practitioners are as passionate as their patients are unwilling. Twenty-eight wild animal doctors recount their most memorable cases — polar bear hernias, hippo root canals, rhino pedicures — in vignettes ripe with humor and pathos. Editor Spelman compares the challenges of wild animal medicine with infant pediatric care — both 'their patients can't speak' — and expounds on the slow process of bonding with patients too timid or aggressive to approach and examine. Readers will be dazzled by stories of recapturing a fugitive herd of wild bison from the outskirts of Paris and medical marvels developed to treat especially small or sensitive patients: a new anesthetic method pioneered for a tiny poison dart frog, prosthetic leg braces built for giraffes. Spelman writes, 'Zoo vets are known for their stamina, strong constitutions, steady hands, good aim, and healthy knees' — these affectionate testaments ensure that compassion can be added to the equation. (July 1)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"Spelman and Mashima's fascinating exploration of the mysterious and often exciting world of veterinary medicine within the confines of the zoological community is a rare opportunity for the reader to go behind the scenes where the stories of drama, discovery, and compassion have been waiting to be revealed. This book is a compelling journey of the often herculean efforts on behalf of dedicated zoo veterinarians and their charismatic patients..... it is a journey of triumph and tragedy, mystery and discovery, which will keep the reader glued to the pages like the prosthetic shoes glued to a rhino hoof." —Jeff Corwin, host of The Jeff Corwin Experience

"This is a delightful book. The stories, each amazingly different, are told with warmth, humor and sensitivity. They are sometimes sad, always captivating. It is a book you can dip into on a journey or read before sleep at night. Buy it and give copies to your friends."—Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder, the Jane Goodall Institute, UN Messenger of Peace

"Lucy Spelman and Ted Mashima have put together a stunning array of stories from twenty-eight of the best wild animal veterinarians in all parts of the world. Whether it is the tale of bringing two whale sharks from Taiwan to the Atlanta Aquarium or the astonishing account of fitting shoes on a foot-sore Asian Rhinoceros, the reader is left with the undeniable conclusion that these vets are contributing indispensable knowledge to a world-wide effort to protect wild creatures threatened by human activity. My hat is off to these unsung heroes of the natural world."—-Roger Sant, Chair of the Board of Regents, Smithsonian Institution

This one-of-a-kind heartwarming collection of stories gives fascinating insight into the exciting and exotic world of zoo veterinarians.

Lucy H. Spelman, DVM, is the regional veterinary manager for the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project in central Africa, based in Rwanda. She is the former director of the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and has been featured on Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel.

Ted Y. Mashima, DVM, is the president and executive director of the Asian American Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, based in Washington, D.C. He lectures frequently and is the former associate director for the Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine at the University of Maryland.