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Daylight saving time could save koalas, study suggests
Koala numbers have fallen by 80 per cent in the Brisbane region due to cars, dogs and disease.
Switch may also benefit other nocturnal creatures

Adopting daylight saving time in South-East Queensland could help to save koalas, according to new research.

The study, published in Biology Letters, found that daylight saving time would decrease car collisions with koalas by eight per cent on weekdays and 11 per cent on weekends.

“This is achieved by simply shifting the timing of traffic relative to darkness,” explains Professor Robbie Wilson from the University of Queensland.

“Daylight saving time could reduce collisions with nocturnal wildlife (animals that are active at night) because it would still be light when commuters drive home.”

In the last 20 years, koala numbers have fallen by 80 per cent in the Brisbane region due to cars, dogs and disease.

In the study, researchers tracked wild koalas and compared their movements with traffic patterns along roads where they were often killed. 

The researchers say a switch could also benefit other nocturnal animals, like kangaroos and wallabies.

“Cars are responsible for hundreds of koala deaths each year,” Dr Bill Ellis from UQ’s School of Agriculture and Food Sciences.

“Anything that can reduce the number of cars on the road when nocturnal animals begin moving around is a good thing, and we wondered if daylight saving might be a factor.”

Encouraged by the results of the study, Dr Wilson said the results  showed the importance of understanding the behaviour of animals in the wild.

“If we can reduce the number of animals hit on the roads by making a simple change like this, then conservation and road safety should become part of the debate on daylight saving,” he said.

“The flipside of this research is that we don’t know the effect daylight saving will have on diurnal animals (those active in the daytime) – such as snakes, lizards and birds - so future research should also incorporate studies of these animals,” he said.

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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.