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Tigers treated to egg-citing first date
Seven-year-old female Amur tiger Naya and male tiger Botsman got to know each other over a huge, colourful Easter egg.
Seven-year-old Naya gets to know her new companion

Love is in the air at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo after a pair of tigers took part in a rather egg-citing ‘first date’.

Seven-year-old female Amur tiger Naya and male tiger Botsman got to know each other over a huge, colourful Easter egg fashioned from papier-mâché. The egg was brushed with intriguing scents including catnip and blood, and hidden within the tigers’ enclosure.

Maya had recently moved to Whipsnade from a feline conservation centre in France. Keepers decided to create the special Easter egg hunt to help her get to know her new 28-stone male companion.

“We wanted to create an activity for Naya that would engage her natural instincts to hunt for and investigate something, in order to help her feel immediately at home here at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo,” said team leader Donovan Glyn. “Once we dreamt up the Easter egg hunt, we realised this would also be an excellent way for Naya and Botsman to get to know one another better.”

“So far, Naya and Botsman have been getting on extremely well, in fact, they are almost inseparable. We’re all thrilled that romance seems to be in the air this spring, and have high hopes for these two as part of the conservation breeding programme.”

Maya has moved to Whipsnade Zoo as part of the European Endangered Species Programme. As well as managing the EEP for Amur tigers, ZSL works for tiger conservation in the Russian Far East, through population monitoring, anti-poaching work, education outreach and wildlife health.

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."