Dr Neil Forbes is an internationally recognised veterinary surgeon with a lifelong commitment to advancing animal health, conservation, and infection control. After graduating with first-class honours in Veterinary Medicine from the Royal Veterinary College in 1983, he went on to achieve RCVS Specialist status in avian medicine and surgery (1992) and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in exotic bird medicine by examination (1996). He is also a Diplomate and former President of the European College of Zoological Medicine (ECZM), and a past-President of the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation.
Neil spent over a decade teaching avian medicine at the University of Bristol Veterinary School (2000–2011) before leading the specialist team at Great Western Exotics (2004–2017), where he oversaw ECZM residency programmes in avian and exotic mammal medicine. His work has consistently bridged practice, teaching, and global collaboration, with more than 80 peer-reviewed papers and contributions to 30+ books. His influence is recognised through awards including the T.J. Lafeber Avian Practitioner of the Year (2004), the Helga Gerlach Senior Award for excellence in avian medicine (2010), and the British Veterinary Zoological Society Lifetime Achievement Award (2023).
Alongside his clinical and academic career, Neil has dedicated himself to conservation—most notably vulture protection as a charter member of the Vulture Alliance and trustee of the Manfred Horstmann Vulture Conservation Trust. He is equally passionate about the wider veterinary profession: advocating for high standards of hygiene and biosecurity, ensuring practices are never a source of zoonotic outbreaks, and training veterinary professionals in infection control. He played a key role in creating the BVNA infection control course in 2015 and continues to contribute to the education of vets and nurses worldwide.
Neil is also a trustee of the Bella Moss Foundation, helping to develop educational resources on hospital-acquired infections for both veterinary teams and pet owners. Beyond the clinic and classroom, he is an avid wildlife photographer, committed to capturing and preserving the natural world he works so hard to protect.
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