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London Zoo animals receive summer treats
Blood lollies, mealworm beach balls and seafood buckets were on the menu.


Residents at the Zoological Society of London’s (ZSL’s) London Zoo have been enjoying some unusual summer snacks, as keepers work to feed their curiosity.

The conservation zoo introduced the animals’ treats as part of their enrichment, challenging them to use some of their natural instincts.


A young male tiger cools off in a pond at London Zoo


Among the strange treats were frozen blood ‘ice lollies’, especially made for the zoo’s Sumatran tigers. The lollies were hidden around their Indonesian-inspired habitat, challenging the tigers to use their heightened sense of smell to find their rewards.


A golden-headed lion tamarin explores a paper 'beach-ball' filled with mealworms


The zoo’s tropical biome, home to several Amazonian species, has recently seen the birth of three young primates. This means the keepers also now have two more endangered golden lion tamarins and a white-faced saki to keep entertained during the summer.

These infants and their parents were presented with two paper beach balls filled with mealworms, which challenged the monkeys’ scavenging instinct to source their mealworm morsels.

A zookeeper feeds the Humboldt penguins at Penguin Beach at London Zoo


Elsewhere in the zoo, keepers had a harder time challenging the colony of Humboldt penguins to search for their food.

The keepers placed buckets of seafood around the penguins’ seaside habitat, so they could search for their food. The naturally inquisitive birds enjoyed investigating the new surprises.

However they were soon distracted by a bucket of fish that was being held by their keepers.

Dan Simmonds, London Zoo’s animal manager, said: “As parents up and down the country plan ways to keep their children engaged for the school holidays, London Zoo’s keepers have created a raft of summer-inspired stimulating activities for the animals in their care. 

“London Zoo is home to more than 10,000 animals, each with specific needs and tastes, so our keepers have their work cut out coming up with ways to encourage them to put their skills to use.”

Images © ZSL

 

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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
RVC leads globally for Veterinary Science

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has retained its lead in Veterinary Science education in the QS World University Rankings 2025.

The college scored 100 for its Academic Reputation and increased its Employer Reputation to 91.7 points. It also maintained high scores for Citations per Paper and H-Index.

RVC says that its score recognises its students' employability and the institution's standing with employers. It also highlighted the impact that its graduates and alumni are making in the sector.

Stuart Reid CBE, president and principal of RVC, said: "We are dedicated to maintaining the teaching, learning and research that takes place at the RVC.

"I am delighted that the effort from all our staff and students has once again led to a great outcome in the QS rankings; it is a privilege we do not take for granted."

The full rankings can be found here.