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Escaped elephant in County Cork
Image - EBU
Incident prompts comment from RSPCA

Footage of an incident in which 'Baby', a 2.5 tonne forty-year-old Asian elephant, escaped from Courtney's Circus in Blackpool, County Cork has achieved considerable popularity online and has also prompted a comment from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).

The elephant escaped from the circus workers assigned to his care and charged through a junction, a shopping centre, a barrier and approximately 200 metres of the nearby road towards the Blackpool Retail Park before being recaptured. Fortunately, no-one was hurt.

Commenting on the incident and its ramifications, the RSPCA's Head of Wildlife Dr Andrew Kelly said “This disturbing piece of footage highlights our concerns that wild animals such as elephants are totally unsuited to travelling circus life. If Baby has been allowed to escape, it seems likely that her environment is simply not meeting her needs. The footage shows her welfare is clearly at risk and we are particularly concerned about the use of bull hooks to try and move her. This story is a timely reminder of the plight of wild animals in circuses and the need for a proper ban.”

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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.