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Last Serbian dancing bear moves to Switzerland
FOUR PAWS sedated Napa before he was loaded into a bear ambulance to start his journey towards a better life.

Napa getting used to life in his new sanctuary

The last remaining dancing bear in Serbia has been transferred to his new home in Switzerland.

Led by international animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS, the transfer saw bear Napa travel some 1,400 kilometres to the newly-built Arosa Bear Sanctuary in Grisons.

Napa is now getting used to his new enclosure under the watchful eye of veterinary surgeons and caretakers. Once accustomed to his new environment, he will move to a much larger outside enclosure.

Pascal Jenny of the Arosa Bear Foundation, said: “We have been waiting so long for him. Finally he is here, our first bear. All of Arosa is pleased that Napa has found a lifelong home with us in the beautiful Arosa mountains.

“The location of Arosa is particularly attractive due to various other tourist destinations in close proximity to the bear sanctuary. This will allow visitors to the area to come into contact with animal welfare and nature conservation topics.”

The journey took around 28 hours and involved a cable car ride. FOUR PAWS sedated Napa before he was loaded into a bear ambulance to start his journey towards a better life.

Regular checks and an air conditioning unit ensured the wellbeing of Napa But on arrival in the Arosa, the team were met with some difficulties:

“The transport cage with Napa in it weighed about 550kg. Transporting it from the bear ambulance to the gondola was a logistical masterpiece. I am very happy that everything went so well and that Napa finally arrived in his forever home”, explained Carsten Hertwig, bear expert at FOUR PAWS.

Napa was born in a zoo and went to a Serbian circus called Corona. It is not known if he actually performed in the circus as there has been a ban on wildlife in circuses in Serbia since 2009. However, it is assumed that he was kept in a cramped cage on site for many years.

Arosa Bear Sanctuary is the first bear sanctuary in Switzerland offering its residents three hectares of enrichment opportunities, ponds and trees. Offering enclosures for up to five bears, it will officially open at the start of August.

Image (C) Four Paws

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.