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France bans imports of lion hunting trophies
lion
French minister of ecology, Ségolène Royal, wrote: 'I have instructed my services to no longer issue import permits for lion hunting trophies.'
Country follows in Australia's footsteps

France has joined Australia in banning the import of lion hunting trophies, making it the first EU member state to bring in such a measure.

In a letter to the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, the French minister of ecology, Ségolène Royal, wrote: 'I have instructed my services to no longer issue import permits for lion hunting trophies.'

Brigitte Bardot, a former actress, singer and model, had previously criticised Royal's 'guilty silence' over the import of hunting trophies, particularly in light of the recent death of Cecil the lion.

Announcing the news of France's import ban, the Brigitte Bardot Foundation thanked the minister.

The charity LionAid also welcomed the news, saying in a statement: "We applaud Minister Royal for this timely decision, and hope that this will precipitate like-minded decisions from many other EU Member States."

LionAid has in fact secured a debate in UK parliament on 24 November, when it will urge the UK to reject any further involvement with trophy hunting or 'canned hunting' (where animals are kept in a confined area) of wild lions for sport.

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

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News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.