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Zoo marks 100th anniversary of extinct bird
painting of a wood pigeon
A large surge in deforestation and hunting saw passenger pigeons quickly driven towards extinction.
ZSL London commemorates 100 years since the death of the last passenger pigeon

ZSL London Zoo will today observe 100 years since the death of the world's last passenger pigeon.

The pigeon, named Martha, passed away in Cincinnati Zoo in 1914 and her species became extinct.  At 12pm today, the exact hour at which she died, bird keepers will stop time on the zoo's iconic clock tower, outside of its Victorian bird house.  

The passenger pigeon was in abundence throughout the 19th Century. Flocks of more than 100 million birds would regularly flood the sky. However, in just a few decades, a large surge in deforestation and hunting saw them quickly driven towards extinction, with Martha being the last survivor.

Ultimately caused by humans, the passenger pigeon's demise is one of the fastest and most dramatic extinctions ever seen.

Ken Norris, director of science at London Zoo, said: "The 100th anniversary of Martha's death is not only a chance to remember her species, but to draw attention to the plight of countless other species who continue to face extinction because of our actions.

"At ZSL we are working on dozens of conservation and research projects around the world to help prevent future extinctions, but as the example of the passenger pigeon demonstrated, we need to act as quickly as we can before there are many more Marthas."

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.