Neil Forbes is a qualified veterinary surgeon, having gained a first class honors Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (BVetMed), from the Royal Veterinary College in 1983. He gained Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Specialist Status in the field of avian medicine and surgery in 1992, and he became a Fellow of the RCVS in exotic bird medicine by examination in 1996. Dr. Forbes also became a Diplomate of the European College of Zoological Medicine (ECZM) in 1997. He is a Past President of the ECZM, a Past-President of the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation, as well as past Chair of the ECZM Education Committee.
Neil taught avian medicine at the University of Bristol Veterinary School from 2000 – 2011. He then led the team at Great Western Exotics, which is part of Vets Now Referrals (2004-2017), where he directed and supervised ECZM-approved residency programs in avian and exotic companion mammal medicine. Neil left commercial referral practice to pursue voluntary conservation efforts for vultures as a charter member of the Vulture Alliance. More recently, he is a trustee of the Manfred Horstmann Vulture Conservation Trust. Dr. Forbes also provides consultancy services in zoo, wildlife, and exotic animal medicine licensing and training as well as infection control and biosecurity. Dr. Forbes was instrumental in setting up the British Veterinary Nursing Association infection control course in 2015 and he continues to remain involved with this course. Neil is also a Trustee of the Bella Moss Foundation, an organization which produces educational material for veterinary professionals and pet owners about hospital-acquired infections and how to manage or minimize the risks.
Dr. Forbes regularly lectures both nationally and internationally. He has published more than 88 scientific papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals and written or contributed to 38 books. Dr. Forbes has also received numerous awards including the 2004 T.J. Lafeber Avian Practitioner of the Year Award, 2010 Helga Gerlach Senior Award for excellence in avian medicine, and the 2023 British Veterinary Zoological Society Life Time Achievement Award for meritorious contributions to zoological medicine.
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