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Brown bear death ‘a tragic fatality’
The Marsican bear is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List.

WWF Italia calls for a review of capture protocols

The death of a rare brown bear at a nature reserve in Italy has been described by the WWF as 'a tragic fatality’.

The Marsican brown bear died during an authorised capture operation at the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise nature reserve.

Initial reports suggested that the bear died from suffocation as a result of too much anaesthetic. However, an investigation led by WWF Italia has since revealed it was suffering from ‘serious diseases’ that could not have been foreseen by staff.

According to media reports, the park rangers had not intended to capture the bear that died. Instead, they had been aiming to fit a radio collar to a bear named Mario, which had been causing trouble in a nearby village and deemed a risk to its inhabitants.

WWF Italia is now calling for a review of protocols to minimise the need for capture. This includes actions to avoid making bears confident, such as not leaving food near inhabited areas and gathering fruit from trees. The organisation is also calling for new protected areas and the creation of safe corridors between protected areas that already exist.

Native to the Apennine Mountains of Italy, the Marsican bear is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. In 1923, the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise nature reserve was created to specifically protect the bears, of which only 40 to 50 individuals remain. 

Image (C) Marco Tersigni.

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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.