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Snowboarding opossum clip goes viral
Image - YouTube.com
Marsupial takes to the slopes

A short video clip of a jumper-wearing opossum named Ratatouille taking to the slopes of Emmitsburg, Pennsylvania on a small Burton Riglet Snowboard has, perhaps inevitably, attracted great interest on the internet. The marsupial, with a Season Pass for the slopes at the US Liberty Ski Resort around his neck, can be seen hitting the slopes from both an external perspective and from a miniature 'board-cam'. His striped blue and lime-green jumper may not constitute normal snowboarding apparel, but Ratatouille does not appear to register any objections.

At the time of writing, the brief clip had won in excess of 600,000 hits on YouTube and had even more on other sites. It has also thus far been featured on The Today Show, Sportcenter Top 10, Good Morning America, Buzzfeed, Red Bull, Yahoo.com, AOL.com and HuffingtonPost.com, and is likely to spread even further as momentum gathers.

The clip, which is 56 seconds long, may be found here.

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Defra shares new Sanitary and Phytosanitary guidance

News Story 1
 Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.

The agreement, which will change the movement and trade of animals and related products, could see reductions in checks, paperwork and certification. As well as describing regulatory developments, the advice highlights the importance of animal ID, registration and traceability in disease control and other compliance arrangements.

The guidance can be found here. More detail is expected as negotiations progress. 

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News Shorts
Lords Committee opens Pet Parasite Medication inquiry

The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee will launch its inquiry into Pet Parasite Medication (PPM) on Wednesday (3 June).

Focusing on treatments containing fipronil and imidacloprid, the inquiry will seek to understand distribution pathways and the impacts of PPM use and non-use on biodiversity and human health. It will also cover current regulation, monitoring, and the potential implications for pets and their owners.

The committee will hear evidence from environmental non-governmental organisations and research institutes. The public can follow the proceedings live on Parliament TV or in person in the Palace of Westminster.