Wildlife Veterinary Investigation Centre (Wildlife VIC) – Vic Simpson

Vic Simpson is a veterinary pathologist with a passionate interest in the diseases of wildlife species.

I first heard of Vic Simpson from an article in Veterinary Review. I read of his centre, and that was it, I needed to know more. Searching for Vic on the World Wide Web, I soon realised this was no ordinary man. He is quoted on the BBC News, Otter News, NFU Countryside (to name just a few) and I read also of his BBC Animal Award for his achievements with wildlife. Then, one email and a conversation later, he invited me to visit him, and witness his work. What a brilliant opportunity for me! Meeting Vic and Jane, his wife, was everything I hoped for, and more. They made me feel extremely welcome!

My Visit

While at the centre I watched Vic perform 3 post mortems: a Tawny Owl, an Otter Cub, and a Pipistrelle Bat.

First, Vic checks the animal for any fractures, for example he checked the movement of the wings of the Tawny Owl. A handy tip I picked up was to wet the animal before the post mortem. This stops the fur and feathers getting in the way later and, if need be, better photos can be taken.

Then the animal is placed on the table, and, if a small creature, is pinned down to a board. The animal is checked systematically, nothing is omitted. Vic explained to me that this is because he believes you have to keep an open mind when examining an animal. Even if you have suspicions as to the cause of death, it is better to check everything - you might surprise yourself that it is in fact due to something else.

Examples of what is examined include:

• the amount of fat,

• whether muscles are good and rounded,

• parasites, e.g. worms in trachea and behind eyes,

• lens of eyes are clear with no cataracts,

• colour of tissue is normal,

• organs are normal, e.g. spleen, liver, gall bladder.

Examination of the digestive system is always left to last due to it being messy! In the owl’s stomach we found 2 recently ingested mice! All this information is taken down on a Post Mortem form, which has each section clearly laid out.

The animal is weighed - not just its body weight in total but most organs and even some of the glands - which were tiny! Of course this is to be expected in such small creatures, but the particular care and attention Vic took as he carefully cut the gland away, leaving the tissue undamaged, was I felt remarkable… and one day I hope that will be me!

Levels of metals are also checked and samples are taken away for later analysis. In the short term metals are stored in the animal’s liver and kidneys, long term in the bones. But this leaves another question - ‘What is normal?’ ‘Exactly’ Vic replies. For the past 30 years Vic (in his own time) has been collecting this data so that he has a better opinion of what is normal.

Other subjects which were discussed:

• The high level of organisation and importance of everything being clean.

• Vic’s research on Otters and the effects of Dieldrin and DDT (Organochlorine Pesticides).

• Tissue sampling for DNA analysis.

• Pig and Avian Flu.

• Preparation of tissue for a microscope slide.

• Sterilisation of the surface of tissues by searing before attempting bacterial cultures.

Watching Vic, it certainly hit me what standards and attention to detail I will have to learn. But it worries me not, in fact I can’t wait!