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Rare white tiger cub born at Nicaragua zoo
The female cub has been named Nieves which means 'snow' in Spanish.

Cub being raised by humans after mother rejected it

A white tiger cub has been born to two yellow and black Bengal tigers at the National Zoo of Nicaragua.

According to the BBC, the female cub – named Nieves (snow in Spanish) – is just over a week old now. She is the first white tiger to have been born in the country.

The cub's mother, Dalila, who was rescued from a circus five years ago, rejected the cub and could not produce milk to feed her.

Nieves is now being hand-raised by the zoo director's wife, Marina Argüello, who feeds the cub warm goat's milk every three hours.

According to the WWF, white tigers get their colour from the expression of a recessive gene. They are found only among the Bengal tiger species and none are currently known to exist in the wild.

Nieve's mother was known to carry this recessive gene, which she inherited from her father – another white Bengal tiger.

White tigers are frequently inbred to maintain their unique fur colour. However, this inbreeding can lead to a number of deformities and health problems.

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

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News Shorts
RCVS members invited to question Council candidates

RCVS members have been invited to submit questions to candidates for this year's RCVS Council election.

With 15 candidates standing for three available positions, vets have been invited to submit a question of their choosing before voting starts. These questions will be collated, with each candidate answering one question of their choice.

It is recommended that members read the candidates' biographies and statements before submitting questions. One question per member can be submitted to vetvote26@rcvs.org.uk before Wednesday, 25 February 2026.

The RCVS Council election is due to start in March.

With only two candidates for two positions on the VN Council, there will be no VN Council elections this year. Meghan Conroy RVN and Lauren Hargrave RVN will begin their three year terms at RCVS' AGM in July.