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Tennis Balls = Homes for Harvest Mice
Photo courtesy of James Lees
Conservationists hope that the simple tennis ball could be just the thing to give harvest mice an advantage this year.

While only new balls will do for the players about to do battle on Wimbledon’s courts, old ones are making perfect nest houses for the tiny mice at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre.
 
Staff at the Centre in Gloucestershire hope it will boost the numbers of mice living in its wetland mammal area.

“I have cut small penny sized holes in the balls and put straw inside and they seem to be taking very well to them.  We have about 30 in our collection here and we are hoping that the tennis balls will make them feel secure so that they breed well this year.” John Crooks, mammal manager, explained.

“A few years ago numbers of the mice in the wild did fall but they are starting make a come back as they many populations have moved to new nesting sites such as hedgerows and wetlands.”

Photo courtesy of James Lees
The mice, which only measure about two inches in length when fully grown, are the smallest rodents in the UK.
 
Their breeding season is from May to September and they tend to have litters of four to six young.  In the wild they weave circular nests out of grasses and attach them to stems high above the ground.

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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.

 

Click here for more...
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.