Roger Sant, Chairman of the Board of Regents, Smithsonian Institution

"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 animal doctors 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."