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Scottish Natural Heritage publish beaver trial reports
Beaver
The findings of the trial will help the Scottish Government decide on the future of beavers in Scotland.

Results will help the Scottish Government decide on the future of beavers in Scotland

Scottish Natural Heritage have published six reports which look at the trial reintroduction of beavers at Knapdale in Argyll.  

The reports consider the health of the beavers and their effect on woodland, aquatic plants, scheduled monuments and public health, as well as the socio-economic costs and benefits of the trial.

The beavers were released in May 2009 by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and The Royal Zoological Society of London. Over five years, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and its partners closely monitored the beavers and the effects on their environment.  The results are expected to help the Scottish Government decide on the future of beavers in Scotland.

Work by the Univeristy of Stirling revealed that beavers have had an effect on aquatic plants in some of the lochs, showing a taste for white water lily and water horsetail, with a particular preference for common club rush and great fen-sedge.

The woodland study, run by the James Hutton Institute, showed that the beavers had gnawed or felled 8.6 per cent of tress in the area as a whole by early 2014. Most of this activity was within 10km of the water's edge.

The socio-economic impact of the trial was assessed by Scotland's Rural College, who found that visitor numbers and volunteering in the area have had a boost. The benefits also extended beyond the trial area and included a range of activities held throughout Scotland, such as education sessions, events, talks and walks.

The three other reports were published by independent monitoring partners.

Project Manager of the Scottish Beaver Trial, Simon Jones, said: “The monitoring phase of the five-year study came to a close in May 2014, so we are pleased to now see the findings from the independent scientific monitoring programme, co-ordinated by Scottish Natural Heritage, being published. The key findings here will be put to the Scottish Government, with hopefully a Ministerial decision on the future of beavers in Scotland being reached by the end of 2015.”
 
Field Operations Manager for the Scottish Beaver Trial, Roisin Campbell-Palmer, said: “We welcome the process moving forward. The reports published by SNH highlight many of the benefits of this keystone species, such as increasing wetland habitat in the area, boosts to visitors and volunteering in the trial area and the beaver being utilised as an educational opportunity across Scotland.”

Online copies of the reports are available at: http://www.snh.gov.uk/protecting-scotlands-nature/reintroducing-native-species/scottish-beaver-trial/the-monitoring-programme/ 

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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. 

Click here for more...
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.