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Iguana escapes fire by jumping on fireman's helmet
The fireman didn't realise the iguana had jumped on to his head at first.

Pet was carried to safety by startled crew member

Firefighters from the Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service made a surprise rescue while extinguishing a house fire in Corby, as an iguana leaped on to a team member's helmet to escape the blaze.

The team responded to a call about a fire caused by a faulty reptile heating mat at 11pm on Wednesday 6 January.

As they tackled the flames, the owner's pet iguana jumped to safety on to one of the firemen's helmets.

Speaking to the BBC, a spokeswoman for the Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “The fireman... didn’t realise the iguana had climbed on top of him at first as he initially thought it was a colleague touching his helmet.”

The animal was unhurt and was carried safely out of the house, although there was some damage to the home, there were no other injuries.

In a tweet about the unique incident, the Service wrote: “One of [the] occupants couldn't wait to be rescued and jumped to safety to hitch a ride out!!”

The public responded to the tweet, praising the brave work of the firefighters and wishing the best for the brave reptile and it's owners.

Image (c) Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service.

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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.