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New Spokesbird for New Zealand
Sirocco the 'spokesbird'.
New Zealand’s world famous parrot – Sirocco the kākāpō – has been officially recognised as a conservation ambassador by the Prime Minister John Key.

To launch New Zealand’s involvement in the International Year of Biodiversity and in recognition of Sirocco’s own celebrity status the 12-year old kākāpō has been named New Zealand’s “Official Spokesbird for Conservation”.

Sirocco, one of only 124 kākāpō remaining in the world, was catapulted into stardom after featuring in the BBC’s “Last chance to see” programme. This saw a huge rise in popularity of kakapo and interest from people wanting to know more about New Zealand’s unique native wildlife.

“Sirocco was an obvious choice for the role – he has a huge worldwide following and he demonstrates the importance of looking after the very special nature that makes New Zealand so different”, said Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson.

She added: “New Zealand is home to the world’s only flightless and nocturnal parrot, the last surviving member of a dinosaur family and the world’s smallest marine dolphin - we have so much unique native wildlife in every nook and cranny across the country. This is our biodiversity to protect and Sirocco can help spread that message.”

For more information, see Sirocco’s new website: www.spokesbird.com

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Strangles survey seeks views of horse owners

News Story 1
 With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.

The survey, which has been designed by Dechra, aims to raise awareness of Strangles and promote best practices to prevent its transmission. It includes questions about horse owners' experiences of strangles, together with preventative measures and vaccination.

Respondents to the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win two VIP tickets to Your Horse Live 2025. To access the survey, click here 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Vivienne Mackinnon elected BVA Scottish Branch President

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has elected Vivienne Mackinnon as its new BVA Scottish Branch president.

Dr Mackinnon has over 30 years of experience in veterinary care, encompassing both small animal and mixed practice. She has worked in practices in Scotland, England, New Zealand and Australia, before joining APHA to work in frontline disease control.

In her speech, Dr Mackinnon reflected on the changes in Scotland's veterinary industry and highlighted her commitment to veterinary education.

Dr Mackinnon said: "I look forward to working with colleagues across the veterinary professions to improve animal health and welfare in the country and support veterinary workplaces."