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Scientists to explore the legend of the Loch Ness Monster
Reports of a ‘monster’ near the Loch Ness date back to the sixth century AD.

DNA study will look at what lives in the UK’s largest freshwater body

Scientists are planning to use DNA sampling techniques to find out if there is any basis for the legend of the Loch Ness Monster.

Professor Neil Gemmell from the University of Otago told BBC News he is not expecting to find a monster, but believes there could be “a biological explanation for some of the stories”.

The research team will spend two weeks in June collecting samples, which will be sent to laboratories in New Zealand, Australia, Denmark and France.

Prof Gemmel is quoted as saying: “There’s absolutely no doubt that we will find new stuff. And that’s very exciting.

“Whilst the prospect of looking for evidence of the Loch Ness monster is the hook to this project, there is an extraordinary amount of new knowledge that we will gain from the work about organisms that inhabit the Loch Ness - the UK’s largest freshwater body.”

The team are planning to identify plants, fish and other organisms by comparing their DNA sequences with those held on a large, international database.

Reports of a ‘monster’ near the Loch Ness date back to the sixth century AD, when Irish monk Saint Columba is said to have seen a ‘water beast’ in the River Ness. Further ‘sightings’ of a pre-historic or dragon-like animal were later reported to Scottish newspapers in the 1930s.

Since then, a number of people have claimed to capture photographs, video footage or sonar images of the creature, but the scientific community regards it as a phenomenon without biological basis - believing sightings are down to hoaxes or misidentification of other objects.

Image by: Sam Fentress/Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 2.0

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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.