About Me
Hi everyone! My name is Jonathan Hollins. I have been a senior vet for over forty years. Since the mid-2000s, I have worked in the British Overseas Territories of the South Atlantic and have a home on St Helena. There, I look after the world's oldest living land animal, Jonathan the Giant Tortoise.
I have written a memoir about my veterinary adventures on the South Atlantic Islands coming this October 2023. It's called Vet at the End of the Earth: Adventures with Animals in the South Atlantic. It's available to buy now, so please do!
Books
A vet’s life with a difference: All Creatures Great and Small in the remote British Overseas Territories of the Falklands, St Helena and Tristan da Cunha
The role of resident vet in the British Overseas Territories encompasses the complexities of caring for the world’s oldest known living land animal – Jonathan the giant tortoise, 190 years old – and MoD mascots at the Falklands airbase; pursuing mystery creatures and invasive microorganisms; relocating herds of reindeer; and rescuing animals in extraordinary and rugged landscapes.
Witty, warm and beautifully crafted, Jonathan Hollins’s tales of island vetting are not only full of wonderful creatures – they are also steeped in the unique local cultures, history and peoples of the islands, far removed from the hustle of modern life. Discover the Falklands, a sprawling archipelago rich in wildlife and fish; lush St Helena and its cindery sister Ascension; and Tristan da Cunha, a tiny, remote community of 250 people carving out an existence on an active volcano.
Praise for Vet at the End of the Earth
Dr HILARY JONES MBE
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.
GARETH STEEL,
author of Never Work with Animals
A Great Veterinary Adventure set in the wilds of the
South Atlantic... highly recommended!
JONATHAN C. SLAGHT,
author of Owls of the Eastern Ice
Charming descriptions of a life well led on the fringes; vividly told with compassion and humour.
