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Czech zoo to remove rhino horns following French attack
In traditional Asian medicine, powdered rhino horn is used as a supposed cure for a range of illnesses.

Dvur Kralove Zoo is home to 21 black and southern white rhinos

A zoo in Czechia has said that it will remove the horns from its herd of rare rhinos following a brutal poaching attack in France.

Speaking to The Guardian, a spokeswoman for the Dvur Kralove Zoo said: “It’s for the sake of rhino safety. The attack (in France) put us on alert, the danger is really intense.”

On 7 March 2017, keepers found four-year-old Vince dead in his enclosure at Thoiry Zoo, Paris. The rhinoceros was shot three times in the head by poachers, who stole its horn using a chainsaw.

The Dvur Kralove Zoo is currently home to a herd of 21 black and southern white rhinos. It told the Guardian that vets will put the rhinos under anaesthesia before removing their horns with a chainsaw and filing the sharp edges.

“We have never done this because of poachers. We did it for other reasons like transport or health concerns,” she added.

According to the WWF, hundred of white rhino have been killed annually in recent years. The species is particularly vulnerable because it is relatively unaggressive.

Rhino horn can sell up to $60,000 per kilo - more than gold or cocaine - with most demand from China and Vietnam. In traditional Asian medicine, powdered horn is used as a supposed cure for a range of illnesses.

Dvur Kralove is the only zoo in the world to have succeeded in the captive breeding of this extremely rare species.

In 2009, it placed three northern white rhinos in the Ol Pejeta reserve in Kenya. 

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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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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.