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EmailIphone Application    Posted: 9th June 2011
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One of the family!

Keepers at Colchester Zoo have bonded so strongly with two Patagonian sealions that they can now swim and play with them as if they were members of the sealions' family!

Previously it has been common for people to swim with the Californian sealion species but this is almost certainly the first time that this has ever been attempted in the UK with Patagonian sealions, due to their wilder nature.
 
It started with the keepers swimming with the sealions to clean the 24m long underwater tunnel through their enclosure and has slowly developed to a stage where keepers can now confidently swim and play with the two friendliest sealions, Winnipeg and Sydney.
 
Kate Broad, Head Sealion Keeper said "We had to ensure that the welfare of the animals was the top priority so we started this process very slowly but there is no doubt that this interaction has enriched the lives of our sealions both physically and mentally.’
 
Patagonian sea lions are agile swimmers and the males can reach weights of up to 2.5 metres in length and 340kg in weight. They have been persecuted in the past by the fur trade and are still affected by pollution and entrapment in fishing nets.

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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."