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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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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.