Peter Holt graduated as a veterinary surgeon from Glasgow University in 1970. After a year as House Surgeon there, he spent two years lecturing in small animal clinical studies in Nairobi, Kenya, where his interests in exotics began. As well as traditional veterinary work he was involved in caring for animals in the Nairobi National Park Animal Orphanage and, with John Cooper, Dr Leakey's primates at the National Primate Research Centre in Tigoni. A further seven years was spent in general practice in Oldham where he was also consultant veterinary surgeon to the Three Owls Bird Sanctuary.
In 1980 he was appointed as a lecturer at the University of Bristol where he is now Professor of Veterinary Surgery. His interests include aspects of soft tissue surgery, especially of the urinary system. He is author of, or contributor to, over a hundred refereed papers and book chapters, including 11 papers/chapters on reptiles. He has received six awards for his clinical and research activities, including in 1981 the British Veterinary Zoological Society Parke Davies Award for "outstanding contributions in the Field of Veterinary Care of Reptiles and Amphibians". His book on small animal urology was published in 1994 by Mosby-Wolfe.
His career has been varied but over the past 20 years he has concentrated on teaching and research and has a particular interest in urology. He is a Past-President of the European Society of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology and in 1991 was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for meritorious contributions to learning in the field of Veterinary Urology.
In the past he has been Veterinary Adviser (1980-81) to the then Bristol Chelonia Group and it was during his reign as its Chairman (1982-85) that the group was "nationlised" to become the British Chelonia Group. On behalf of the British Chelonia Group he organised six annual symposia on chelonia and although no longer actively involved in the veterinary care of chelonia., he still maintains an acitve interest in the BCG and its activities.
He relaxes by growing Bonsai, playing in a rock band and riding a Harley-Davidson!
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