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Meerkats get merry
George investigating his Christmas stocking

Santa stockings and fireplace make for festive enrichment

As the festive spirit hits, keepers at Whipsnade Zoo are helping their meerkats join in the merriment with personalised Christmas stockings.

Meerkat trio Paul, George and Ringo each have a stocking full of treats hung on their very own fireplace, to encourage them to investigate something new as part of their daily enrichment activities.

Zookeeper Mark Holden said: "Paul, George and Ringo have definitely made it onto Santa’s nice list this year, so we stuffed their stockings full of their favourite cricket snacks as a pre-Christmas treat.

"Stuffed stockings are a great way of keeping the trio stimulated and encouraging them to be inquisitive."

Whipsnade's Meet Santa experience launched last week, coinciding with the meerkat's festive enrichment. Fitting in with the theme, the zoo will be offering children the chance to learn more about reindeers during daily talks at their paddock.

Image courtesy of ZSL Whipsnade Zoo

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Strangles survey seeks views of horse owners

News Story 1
 With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.

The survey, which has been designed by Dechra, aims to raise awareness of Strangles and promote best practices to prevent its transmission. It includes questions about horse owners' experiences of strangles, together with preventative measures and vaccination.

Respondents to the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win two VIP tickets to Your Horse Live 2025. To access the survey, click here 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Vivienne Mackinnon elected BVA Scottish Branch President

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has elected Vivienne Mackinnon as its new BVA Scottish Branch president.

Dr Mackinnon has over 30 years of experience in veterinary care, encompassing both small animal and mixed practice. She has worked in practices in Scotland, England, New Zealand and Australia, before joining APHA to work in frontline disease control.

In her speech, Dr Mackinnon reflected on the changes in Scotland's veterinary industry and highlighted her commitment to veterinary education.

Dr Mackinnon said: "I look forward to working with colleagues across the veterinary professions to improve animal health and welfare in the country and support veterinary workplaces."