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Edinburgh Zoo wins Panda awards
Image: Gill Penney
First ever Giant Panda Zoo Awards announced

The results of the first ever Giant Panda Zoo Awards were announced this week, with Edinburgh Zoo striking gold and double silver.

Panda fans and enthusiasts from all over the world have been voting across ten different panda categories for the unique Giant Panda Zoo Awards. Run by panda fan Jeroen Jacobs, the Giant Panda Zoo aims to spread the word about giant pandas in captivity, and to make a difference in panda conservation.

The awards saw Iain Valentine, Director of Giant Pandas at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), win a gold award for the 'Human Panda Personality'. Yang Guang (Sunshine) picked up a silver for 'Favourite Pandas Outside China', and the PR campaign for the first ever giant panda breeding season at Edinburgh Zoo also brought in a silver award.

Iain Valentine said: “For Edinburgh Zoo to have been nominated and shortlisted was alone a great privilege, but to have been voted for by panda fans across the world to win an award in all three categories is truly special.

“We’re delighted that our male, Yang Guang, is so popular with people in the UK and also internationally. With an outgoing character that actually seems to love an audience, the fact he has received this award after only being at Edinburgh Zoo for 12 months is very special.

“I was lucky enough to pick up the gold award for Human Panda Personality; a great privilege for me and the wider team that I’m part of at Edinburgh Zoo; it’s very encouraging to think that our profile and work with giant pandas is hopefully raising the awareness of global giant panda conservation.

“Not only a wonderful first for Edinburgh Zoo, the Giant Panda Zoo Awards are a fun and engaging concept from Jeroen whose website and newsletters act as a great platform to pull focus to and increase awareness of the important conservation work for these iconic animals.”

Click here for a full list of the winners.

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Annual submission deadline small pet animal exemptions

News Story 1
 Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.

Submitting this annual return ensures continued compliance with regulatory requirements for products marketed without a full Marketing Authorisation. The exemption specifically applies to products intended for animals, cage birds, terrarium animals, small rodents, ferrets and rabbits.

For further details and submission guidelines, visit the gov.uk website.  

Click here for more...
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Bluetongue RZ extended across Scotland

The Scottish Government has announced an extension to a Bluetongue Restricted Zone that is in place in south-west Scotland.

From 3 October, the Restricted Zone will be extended to cover the whole of Scotland. The Animal, Plant and Health Agency (APHA) says this is in response to further disease spread, as well as simplify trading conditions ahead of the autumn.

Since the whole country will share a disease status, it will no longer be necessary to have a movement license to move susceptible livestock around the country. Restrictions on germinal products remain.

As of 1 October 2026, there were 1,979 cases of BTV-3 in England, 389 cases in Wales and 40 cases in Scotland.