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Dead whale ingested six kilos of plastic
Indonesia is the world’s second largest contributor to plastic pollution after China.
Discovery prompts action from Indonesian government 

A sperm whale found dead on the coast of eastern Indonesia had ingested around six kilograms of plastic waste, officials have confirmed.

The whale was found on Monday (19 November) in the Southeast Sulawesi province by rescuers from Wakatobi National Park. Park chief Heri Santoso said they found 115 plastic cups, four plastic bottles, 25 plastic bags, two flip-flops and more than 1,000 other items of plastic inside the animal’s stomach.

Dwi Suprapti from WWF Indonesia, who assisted the rescuers, told the Associated Press: “Although we have not been able to deduce the cause of death, the facts that we see are truly awful.”

She added that it was not possible to tell if the plastic had caused the whale’s death because the whale was in such an advanced state of decay.

According to a study published in the journal Science, Indonesia is the world’s second largest contributor to plastic pollution after China. Each year the country produces some 3.2 million tones of plastic, of which 1.29 million finds its way into the ocean.

Indonesia’s coordinating minister of maritime affairs, Luhut Binsar Pandjaita, said the discovery had prompted tougher action from the Indonesian government.

“It is possible that many other marine animals are also contaminated with plastic waste and this is very dangerous for our lives,” said Pandjaita.

Among the measures being implemented by the Indonesian government include urging shops not to provide plastic bags and teaching the problem in schools. The government hopes to reduce its overall plastic use by 70 per cent by 2025.

“This big ambition can be achieved if people learn to understand that plastic waste is a common enemy,” he told The Associated Press.

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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.