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Study uncovers Facebook trade in wild animals
The most commonly listed animal was the Sundra slow loris, which was illegally traded as a pet and prop for tourists.

Over 1,500 animals listed for sale in Thailand 

A study by the wildlife group TRAFFIC has found more than 1,500 live animals listed for sale on Facebook in Thailand.

Researchers monitored a dozen Facebook groups for 30 minutes a day, over 23 days in 2016.

A follow-up study in 2018 revealed that 10 of these groups remained, of which one had become a secret group. Membership had nearly doubled, from 106,111 to 203,445.

Out of 200 species being sold, 47 per cent were not protected under Thailand’s primary wildlife legislation, in many cases because they were not native to the country. Most were mammals, birds and reptiles.

The most commonly listed animal was the sunda slow loris, which was illegally traded as a pet and prop for tourists. In total, researchers saw 139 listed for sale.

Other animals being sold included a critically endangered helmeted hornbill and 25 Siamese crocodiles.

In light of the research, TRAFFIC urged Thai authorities to close legal loopholes and bolster current enforcement efforts.

Image by Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada/CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia Commons

 

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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.