Vet known for TV documentary and the capture of Hercules the bear

Born: March 3, 1926;

Died: November 9, 2017

GEORGE Rafferty, who has died aged 91, was a well-known vet who developed one of the best and most diverse practices in Scotland, based in Grantown-on-Spey in the Highlands. He also became nationally famous when he featured in a BBC TV documentary and was involved in capturing Hercules the bear after he escaped from his handler, the wrestler Andy Robbins.

Born in Rutherglen, Glasgow, George Rafferty got the taste for the countryside when he regularly cycled the 40 miles from Glasgow to Ayrshire where his family were dairy farmers.

At school, he was the dux at Rutherglen Academy and graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in 1948 where he excelled in his studies. Indeed he was followed there by his son Andrew, who one day was sitting in the back row of the anatomy lecture theatre when he looked down to see his father's name carved into the wood of the bench.

On qualifying, Mr Rafferty worked in England where he met Jane, his lifelong companion and the backbone to his veterinary practice. Jane was warned by an aunt that she should not, in any circumstances, marry a Scottish vet; she ignored the advice but many a day she remembered these words.

The couple moved to Scotland and in 1954 set up in Grantown. He continued working until he was 70, then took a new career as a grouse and pheasant beater at a number of estates in the area. Along with his Jack Russells, Tromie then Druie, he quickly taught the keepers how they should run their shoots and train their dogs.

During his time running his practice, he would be out in the early hours of the morning at a calving, which took about 30 minutes, but the dram afterwards took about two hours.

He would not bother going back to bed but just get on with the next day's work. His stamina was amazing. The family never heard him complain of being tired. He drove on average 40,000 miles a year, often alongside Willie, his right-hand man for 25 years.

In the early days only a few people had phones, so if a call came in when George was on his rounds Jane would phone the nearest person with a phone and ask them to hang out a white flag to alert George to stop and pick up a message. Sometimes the only white linen in the house would be a pair of knickers.

The fame that the television documentary, The Vet - Beyond the Surgery Door, brought Mr Rafferty in 1989 never went to his head. He had already attracted attention in 1980 when he was involved in the attempts to capture Hercules, who had evaded capture on Benbecula for 24 days.

Mr Rafferty was part of a team that spotted Hercules from a helicopter and he calculated a dose of powerful anaesthetic to take the animal down. Half the dose was put into a dart that was shot from the helicopter. Hercules was then rolled into a net and carried away by the helicopter.

In 1992 Mr Rafferty was appointed Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Inverness-shire, a duty he performed with pride and dignity. In 1998 he was awarded an MBE for services to the agricultural community. He was proud of this and accepted it on behalf of all his clients with whom he had a very close relationship.

Despite breaking bones, contracting various diseases and suffering a heart attack (at age of 70), he never held back as he knew life was precious.

In 2001, he went to Dumfriesshire to help with the foot and mouth outbreak. He said it was heartbreaking to see herds and flocks destroyed, but with his common sense attitude he helped many people and on one occasion challenged a diagnosis and saved that farmer's livelihood. However, he was told by the authorities not to make policy on the hoof - common sense was not in the regulations.

Twenty years ago he decided it would be nice to get all the family and some friends together to go on a walk. So started the annual family outing to various parts of the Highlands, the favourite being Inverie, so much so that for his 80th birthday he celebrated with the 22-mile trek. Latterly, there were four generations of Raffertys on the walks, much to Mr Rafferty's pride.

George Rafferty had a wicked sense of humour and a limited tolerance of nuisances. Forever wanting to be organised, he got a friend to make his coffin 20 years ago. It was stored in the outside shed where it was a very useful work bench. Earlier this month he asked son John to look it out and not to worry too much about the mouse droppings in it.

Mr Rafferty is survived by his wife Jane, who he was married to for 67 years, four children John, Jean, Andrew and Anne, eight grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

ANDY DIXON