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Vets carry out rare ultrasound on rhino
Greater one-horned rhinos are threatened by expanding human populations in their native Nepal and India.

Behan’s irregular reproductive cycles were causing concern 

Vets have performed a rare ultrasound on a rhino at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, after becoming concerned about her reproductive cycles.

Keepers were worried that the zoo’s 22-year-old greater one-horned rhino, Behan, was having irregular reproductive cycles.

Whilst it is rare to put such a large animal under general anaesthetic, owing to the risks, vets said the only way to diagnose Behan’s problem was to carry out an internal scan.

To help with the procedure, zoo vets called in Robert Hermes, an international specialist in rhino reproduction from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin.

Fortunately, the scan showed that Behan is in good health and the issues with her reproductive cycle can be treated with regular hormone injections.

Whipsnade Zoo’s veterinary officer, Fieke Molenaar said: “To be reassured that she is in good health is great news for all of us that work with Behan.

“It’s also fantastic for the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), because we now know that, although she is an older female, it may still be possible for her to have another calf… which would be her fifth!”

Greater one-horned rhinos are threatened by expanding human populations in their native Nepal and India. ZSL is working with other organisations in Nepal to protect the species. Improved law enforcement and management of protected areas has helped increase the number of rhinos in Chitwan National Park from 100 to 645 in five decades. 

Image © ZSL Whipsnade Zoo

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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...
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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.