As a wildlife veterinarian, Chris Brown faces danger on a regular basis. (He’s been bitten five times!) Now, the Aussie doctor faces a new type of challenge — sharing 25 things you didn’t know about him with Us Weekly! Tune in to catch the Vet Gone Wild star on Animal Planet Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.
1. I had size 15 feet when I was 14. The only shoes I could find in my hometown were purple and green. I’m pretty sure it set me back a few years socially. My feet are still a size 15.
2. I’m not the only vet in my family. My dad and aunty are also vets.
3. My first pet wasn’t a dog or a cat. It was a cow called Bridget.
4. I’ve been bitten badly by animals five times. Four of them were . . . Chihuahuas.
5. I’m slightly color blind. Which probably explains some fashion choices over the years.
6. Aside from being a vet, I’m also a travel and wildlife photographer and have had my shots published by lots of magazines.
7. I’m allergic to only one animal. The rabbit. As a result, I always look like I’m highly emotional whenever I’m treating a rabbit.
8. I once got whiplash and tore my groin surfing a 12-foot wave in Chile.
9. The smallest animal I’ve ever treated was a pet snail in China. His owner (a 5-year-old boy) was worried he had small cracks in his shell. It turns out he had a calcium deficiency from only eating lettuce.
10. While filming Vet Gone Wild, I was bitten by a lion. But it’s not as bad as it sounds. She clenched down on my arm while I was putting a tube down her throat to keep her under sedation.
11. I once met Nelson Mandela but complete messed up our conversation.
12. I got my start on TV after telling stories to a girl in a bar while a TV executive eavesdropped on the conversation.
13. My dream animal to work on is a polar bear.
14. My best mate is a chef and he’s taught me some pretty useful tricks in the kitchen. My current obsession is olive oil chocolate mousse.
15. After my dog died on the eve of my Rugby grand final when I was 17, I wore a blue arm band [because] it was the color of his collar.
16. My worst habit is chewing my fingernails. I only do it when I’m anxious about how a patient might recover … and when I’ve been wearing gloves while treating that patient.
17. Bryan Adams is my go-to karaoke artist. I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to Bryan.
18. I once received a death threat while delivering a litter of puppies. I was told that if the mother didn’t survive, the same would happen to me. That was a stressful night!
19. When I was 8, my family’s pet donkey “Pablo” was sent to a farm. My brothers soon told me what being sent to a farm really meant. I cried for days. Then when I was 18 I received a card from Pablo. It turned out he had been at a farm all along.
20. I used to think LOL meant “Lots of Love.” As a result, I once sent a friend a text saying how ‘sorry I was to hear their dog had died. LOL.’
21. I was recently on a charter flight in Uganda when the pilot fell asleep. I coughed loudly for 10 minutes until he eventually woke up. There was so much coughing I think he thought I was the bigger danger to us.
22. Sharing the name Chris Brown with the rapper means I get a lot of feedback about his music on social media. Part of me hopes he gets animal questions just to even the score.
23. Last year I was charged underwater by a 30-foot sperm whale. He didn’t mean to hurt me but just didn’t know what I was. I did get an incredible photo.
24. I once broke my arm attempting to do “the worm” on a dance floor.
25. I’ve had flying lessons and have even flown an F18 Fighter Jet. Busting through the sound barrier is something I’ll never forget.
