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RSPCA staff create DIY sauna for sickly seal pups
Many of the seal pups at the centre will require weeks, if not months of specialist care.

Daily steaming sessions help intensive care pups breath easier

Rescued seal pups at RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Centre have been receiving daily sauna sessions after staff created a mobile sauna unit out of a modified wallpaper stripper.

The centre is currently caring for 49 common seal pups, many of which have respiratory problems. They were admitted to the centre at the start of June and some will require weeks, or even months of intensive care before they can return to the wild.

The makeshift sauna was created to help the pups breathe easier. Twice a day, staff feed a hose through a hole in the wall of each seal’s isolation cubicle, switch the machine on and fill the room with steam.

Centre manager Alison Charles explained: “We had previously used veterinary equipment in the past, but it just wasn't strong enough to steam the whole room.

"So, we put our thinking caps on and got creative and made our own mobile sauna unit out of a wallpaper steamer. It even has a timer and it's on a trolley so it can be wheeled from one cubicle to another.

“We have found it makes a real difference to the seals breathing (just like a sauna can help us) after they have had a few sessions with the steamer!”

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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.