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Tigers treated to egg-citing first date
Seven-year-old female Amur tiger Naya and male tiger Botsman got to know each other over a huge, colourful Easter egg.
Seven-year-old Naya gets to know her new companion

Love is in the air at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo after a pair of tigers took part in a rather egg-citing ‘first date’.

Seven-year-old female Amur tiger Naya and male tiger Botsman got to know each other over a huge, colourful Easter egg fashioned from papier-mâché. The egg was brushed with intriguing scents including catnip and blood, and hidden within the tigers’ enclosure.

Maya had recently moved to Whipsnade from a feline conservation centre in France. Keepers decided to create the special Easter egg hunt to help her get to know her new 28-stone male companion.

“We wanted to create an activity for Naya that would engage her natural instincts to hunt for and investigate something, in order to help her feel immediately at home here at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo,” said team leader Donovan Glyn. “Once we dreamt up the Easter egg hunt, we realised this would also be an excellent way for Naya and Botsman to get to know one another better.”

“So far, Naya and Botsman have been getting on extremely well, in fact, they are almost inseparable. We’re all thrilled that romance seems to be in the air this spring, and have high hopes for these two as part of the conservation breeding programme.”

Maya has moved to Whipsnade Zoo as part of the European Endangered Species Programme. As well as managing the EEP for Amur tigers, ZSL works for tiger conservation in the Russian Far East, through population monitoring, anti-poaching work, education outreach and wildlife health.

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise 100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.