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Koala joins passengers aboard flight to Scotland
Queensland koala Tanami had his own seat on the flight from Germany to Edinburgh.

Tanami joins conservation breeding programme at Edinburgh Zoo

An unlikely passenger joined travellers aboard a plane destined for Edinburgh last week.

Nineteen-month-old Queensland koala Tanami had his own seat on the flight from Germany, to join Scotland’s only koalas as part of a conservation breeding programme.

“Koalas are very sensitive animals, so special care needs to be taken when transporting them,” explained Darren McGarry, head of living collections at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo. “They travel in the plane’s cabin and not in the hold so keepers can easily make sure everything’s okay during the flight.”

Tanami travelled more than 700 miles from Duisburg Zoo, one of the largest zoological gardens in Germany. He is swapping place with Edinburgh Zoo’s young male koala, Toorie, who will be making the return flight to Duisburg Zoo later this week.

“We welcome passengers from all over the world to Edinburgh Airport but not all of them are as special or as cute as a koala!” said Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport. “It was quite exciting to have Tanami arriving here and he joins a list of famous animals who have touched down here to make Edinburgh Zoo their new home.”

Once a common sight throughout the eucalyptus forests of Eastern Australia, the koala is now listed as ‘vulnerable’ on the ICUN Red List of Threatened Species. Current threats include continued habitat destruction, fragmentation and modification, which makes them vulnerable to predators and vehicle strikes.

Besides being members of the managed breeding programme for Queensland koalas, RZSS Edinburgh Zoo makes regular contributions to support conservation projects in Australia that help rehabilitate sick and injured koalas. It said that visitors can look forward to seeing Tanami in the coming months.

Image (C) RZSS Ediburgh Zoo

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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.