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The count is on…
Both ZSL London and Colchester zoo keepers have begun their annual stock take, counting all the animals in the zoos.

At the end of each year, all the zoo’s animal records are updated to allow for births, new arrivals and movements to other zoos. This information is then sent off to ISIS, a global information network that all zoos contribute to in order to ensure there is an accurate global record of animals in zoos.

London Zoo and Colchester Zoo keepers are currently undergoing this mammoth task, which is expected to take around 2 weeks.

In London Zoo, there are over 16,000 different creatures and 700 different species including around 10,000 invertebrates, more than 4,000 fish and nearly 100 reptiles. Therefore, individually head counting every animal is quite an undertaking.

Claire Saunders, Animal Records Officer, at Colchester Zoo says, “With some species such as the leaf cutter ants it is possible to take an estimate of likely numbers, otherwise it would be a real headache getting them all to stay still enough long enough to have an accurate count!”

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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
DAERA to reduce BVD 'grace period'

DAERA has reminded herd keepers of an upcoming reduction to the 'grace period' to avoid BVD herd restrictions.

From 1 May 2025, herd keepers will have seven days to cull any BVD positive or inconclusive animals to avoid restrictions being applied to their herd.

It follows legislation introduced on 1 February, as DAERA introduces herd movement restrictions through a phased approach. Herd keepers originally had 28 days to cull BVD positive or inconclusive animals.

DAERA says that, providing herd keepers use the seven-day grace period, no herds should be restricted within the first year of these measures.

Additional measures, which will target herds with animals over 30 days old that haven't been tested for BVD, will be introduced from 1 June 2025.

More information is available on the DAERA website.