Our Council

Elliott graduated from the university of Bristol in 2014. After spending five years working in mixed practice with a heavy zoo and exotics caseload, and volunteering on a small island in the Grenadines, Elliott established his own company providing clinical and consultancy services for falconers, zoos and private exotics clients across the East of England, before joining the International Zoo Veterinary Group (IZVG) in November 2021, now working across the UK with zoological collections and wildlife rehabilitation providers. He also sits on the University of the West of England Animal Welfare and Ethics Sub-Committee (AWESC).

Elliott holds a Guinness World Record for performing the first ever caesarean section in a tapir.

Sonya qualified from Bristol University in 2013. In 2015 she started working for Highcroft Exotic Vets and now leads the busy first opinion and referral level department. Sonya become an RCVS Recognised Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine in 2018 and in 2020 she became a WAVMA certified aquatic species veterinary surgeon. In 2020 she created Just Exotics, an on-demand webinar platform where her passion for teaching aims to support veterinary practitioners for a variety of species. Sonya enjoys all aspects of working with exotic species, specifically reptiles, amphibians and fish. She particularly enjoys performing soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery, as well as teaching her interns and veterinary students seeing practice within the department.

Mark graduated from University of Glasgow in 2009 and has spent most of his career working with exotic pets, wildlife and zoo species. He is based at Battle Flatts Veterinary Clinic in North Yorkshire where he sees a busy caseload of both first opinion and referral cases in practice and provides veterinary services for a number of zoological collections and to a local wildlife rehabilitation centre. Mark regularly works with a wide range of species from mega-vertebrates to fish but has a particular interest in avian and amphibian medicine and surgery. Mark has been involved in teaching of vets, nurses and students both within the UK and abroad and holds the RCVS certificate in Zoological Medicine as well as Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine status.

Agata is a companion and exotic animal veterinary surgeon. She graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2015 and has worked in a number of exotic animal practices across the UK seeing both first opinion and referral patients. She frequently lectures on the subject of exotic animal medicine and has written many publications on the subject. In practice, she divides her time equally between soft tissue surgery, including keyhole methods such as endoscopy and laparoscopy, as well as exotic animal medicine. Agata is currently studying towards two further qualifications including the Certificate of Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine and the General Practitioner Certificate in Endoscopy & Endosurgery. She writes for many hobbyist publications such as The Guinea Pig Magazine and has presented at many conferences such as BVZS, BSAVA and London Vet Show. Agata is currently based at a busy hospital in Hampshire where she leads the exotic animal department.

Darren graduated from the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine in 2013, thereafter pursuing an MSc in Quantitative Methods in Biodiversity, Conservation and Epidemiology and an MVetSci in Conservation Medicine. He has worked in exotic animal practice on both a first opinion and referral basis. He has a PgC in Exotic Animal Studies, is a Certified Aquatic Veterinarian through WAVMA and is an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine. Currently Darren is Director of Animal Health at Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium. Darren has a keen interest in wildlife and conservation, volunteering his free time to provide veterinary support to local wildlife rehabilitation charities.

Ian qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 2008. He became a Diplomate of the European College of Zoological Medicine (Zoo Health Management) in 2021 having completed a Residency at Chester Zoo, where he continues to work as a Veterinary Officer. Ian previously completed a clinical internship in Wildlife Medicine and Conservation at Tufts University and his career has given him the opportunity to work with zoo and wild animals in various locations around the world. Ian feels very privileged to be fulfilling his boyhood dream of being a zoo and conservation vet and he is excited to be a member of the BVZS council.

Ian became a father for the first time in 2023 and, outside of work, he loves going on (wildlife-related) adventures, drawing, writing children's stories and following his favourite football team, Arsenal.

Bev graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2009 with an intercalated degree in Veterinary Conservation Medicine from Liverpool. After a year working in East Africa and teaching international development at the RVC, she worked as a small animal and exotics general practitioner for three years, where she also volunteered regularly at a large wildlife hospital, the Wildlife Aid Foundation. She continues to be a veterinary consultant and trustee for the charity. In 2013 she became the Lead Vet at RSPCA Stapeley Grange, treating a wide range of British wildlife and domestic species. After a period working in zoos and exotics referral practice, she was recruited in 2020 as the exotics curriculum lead at Harper & Keele Vet School, where she is now also Senior Tutor. She is an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine and holds the RCVS Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice in Zoological Medicine. She runs training for a number of organizations in wildlife triage, decision-making and euthanasia as well as providing CPD to vets and nurses in wildlife and exotics as well as continued consultancy work for zoos and wildlife hospitals. She was elected onto BVZS council in November 2024.

After qualifying 2012 Lauren spent time in first opinion practice before moving to emergency medicine. As a keen naturalist, Lauren ensured she catered to wild animals in practice and encouraged her colleagues to do this same. She ventured around the world working with the wild and wonderful, including cheetahs, rhino and pangolins and even completing some work in a zoo in Australia. After returning to the UK to study Wildlife Biology, graduating in 2022, Lauren moved abroad again, this time as the first sea turtle veterinary nurse for the Olive Ridley Project in the Maldives. During her career Lauren has been a clinical coach and completed the Advanced Programme of Veterinary Nursing in zoo and wildlife.
On her return Lauren started a position at Marwell Zoo where her interests include anaesthesia, sustainability and all things cat.
Lauren is currently a BDMLR Medic, a member of the BWRC Veterinary Liaison Working Group and is completing the new Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Nursing of Zoo and Wildlife via post graduate certificate route.

Josh is a veterinary surgeon and zoology graduate working with exotics, wildlife and small animals. His interest in zoological medicine developed over a number of years of placements, as well as volunteering at zoos and with wildlife across the UK and in Europe, which he continues alongside work.
His passion for raising awareness of herpetological husbandry inspired him to host educational workshops since 2010, and he is currently pursuing his first publication in a peer reviewed journal. He continues to produce CPD webinars and regularly coaches veterinary students interested in the field. In 2025 he was announced as one of the veterinary professions ’30 Under Thirty’
Prior to veterinary, Josh undertook behavioural studies in Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest, and became an IUCN Red List Assessor in 2019. At University he served on the council of both the Zoological and Emergency societies, and is keen to bring his experience as a recent graduate to the BVZS Council.

Helen graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2018, with zoology and veterinary medicine degrees. She has worked in exotic animal practice since graduation. She has experience in first opinion and referral practice with exotic companion animals, alongside small zoological collection work. She completed her certification in exotic animal practice and gained advanced practitioner status in 2024. She now is a part of the new exotics service for Portland Vets, seeing referrals and helping support newer team members wanting to improve their exotic animal knowledge. Her main focus is exotic companion animals, but also enjoys wildlife and zoological collection work.

Formerly Veterinary Surgeon to Blackpool Zoological Gardens. Past President of BVZS, Past president of EAZWV. Current advisory Board member EAZWV. Hon Member BVZS. Hon Member EAZWV. Chairman The ZEBRA Foundation for Zoological Veterinary Education is committed to helping vets and vet students gain skills and experience in zoo and wildlife medicine. We do this through the provision of small research project grants to individuals. These could used be used for elective study as part of a degree or higher qualification, laboratory research – or a project undertaken whilst undertaking a clinical placement in zoo and wildlife medicine.

The Zebra Foundation is a registered charity, funded by the European Association of Zoo and Wildife Veterinarians (EAZWV), the British Veterinary Zoological Society (BVZS) and public donations.

Romain is a specialist wildlife veterinary surgeon, who grew up and qualified as a vet in South Africa, and now lives in Scotland. He is a past president of BVZS and a past president of the Scottish branch of the British Veterinary Association. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and a European recognised specialist in zoo health management. He completed a PhD in minimally invasive surgery in wildlife and was elected a life member of the Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. He has worked for wildlife conservation organisations, government departments, and zoos in over 40 countries, and is the author of “Exotic Vetting”, published by William Collins in 2022. He is a member of Defra’s Animal Welfare Committee, a trustee of Chester Zoo, and a trustee of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquaria, on which he represents veterinarians perspectives for the BVZS and the BVA.