The Royal Agricultural Societies have made Dr Christianne Glossop, Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, an Associate of the RAS in recognition of her work in the fields of animal health, productivity and welfare in the farming sector. Dr Glossop, who has served as Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales since 2005, is highly regarded as a lecturer at both UK and overseas universities, veterinary schools and agricultural colleges. Image - fwi.co.uk

Edinburgh Zoo's famous penguin parade has been temporarily suspended for the next three months to permit maintenance work to the penguin enclosure. Many of the 160 birds will be transferred to other zoos in England, Denmark and Belfast while the work is in progress, and the Zoo plans to start a breeding program when the birds return to the refurbished quarters. Commenting, Bird Team Leader Colin Oulton said "Our penguins are all going to zoos with dedicated facilities and it goes without saying that they will be extremely well cared for." Image - Nigel Chadwick.

German shoppers can now buy packs of sausages decorated with pictures of the pigs that they were made from. The initiative, created by farmer Dennis Buchman (pictured), is designed to restore the link between consumption and knowledge of where the food comes from. Those who visit the website 'Meine Kleine Farm' will also be able to vote on which pig they wish to see slaughtered and turned into sausages. Herr Buchman also said that he would invite people to visit the pigs prior to slaughter. Image - meinekleinefarm.org

The Equine Veterinary Journal will shortly be publishing the collected papers of the late Professor Barrie Edwards CBE FRCVS. An internationally respected expert on colic and abdominal surgery who made an immense contribution to equine veterinary medicine, Professor Edward's death was keenly felt by the entire profession. Professor David Freeman stated in March's EVJ Journal that "Although much has been written and spoken about Barrie Edwards' impact on colic surgery in the horse, in truth, the greatest benefactors of his work are those that can only praise his efforts by silently enjoying the benefits of them. As veterinarians, we should regard that as the ultimate praise".

Researchers from Sweden and Hungary believe they can explain why zebras have their iconic stripes. An experiment using sticky 3D models of horses found that flies were least attracted to those with zebra-style coats, implying that zebras are at reduced risk from being bitten by flies carrying blood-borne diseases. This compliments but does not replace existing theories which argue that zebra's coats confuse predators and help with temperature regulation. The team's findings were reported in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

A Scottish wildlife park has come up with a cunning way to find the weight of an uncooperative polar bear. Three-year-old Walker of Highland Wildlife Park near Kincraig weighed 248kg in December 2010, but keepers needed an up-to-date weight so they could be confident of his good health. He was therefore bravely lured onto a set of scales with a decoy of mackerel fillets in tomato sauce, one of his favourite meals. His weight was then confirmed at a healthy 403kg. Una Richardson, Head Keeper at the Park, said "Knowing precisely what he weighs gives us a very good indication of how well he is doing." Photo: Highland Wildlife Park.