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Zookeepers name red panda kit
Adorable Ruby will remain in her den until she is four months old.

Endangered species is at risk of habitat loss and poaching.

An endangered red panda kit has been named after receiving her first health check at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo.

'Ruby' was born in July 2021 to mum Ginger and dad Bruce.

Staff at the wildlife conservation charity voted for her name from a shortlist drawn up by keepers as a thank you for their hard work during the pandemic.

Ruby is currently living in her off-show cubbing den and will start to venture outdoors when she reaches four months old.

Jo Elliott, animal collection manager and carnivore keeper at Edinburgh Zoo said: “We wanted to give our kit a name which pays homage to red pandas and would also fit nicely with our previous kit’s name, Ruaridh. The carnivore team came up with a shortlist of names and put it out to our colleagues as a vote.
 
“Everyone at RZSS has worked so hard this last year, providing expert care for all of the animals at Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park throughout the pandemic and working to connect the public with nature during lockdown. This was a small thing we could do to say thank you.
 
“Red pandas are a visitor favourite here at the zoo, and Ruby’s birth is significant for this endangered species, which is at risk due to habitat loss and poaching.”

Image (C) RZSS Edinburgh 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...
News Shorts
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.