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Scottish wildcats arrive at Edinburgh Zoo

Quartet of rare felines settle into their new enclosure

Edinburgh Zoo has welcomed four Scottish wildcats – one of Britain's rarest mammals – to its animal inventory.

The quartet arrived at the zoo a few months ago from the Highland Wildlife Park, both part of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).

Listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the Scottish wildcats will remain part of RZSS's conservation project at the zoo.

The three male cats – Leven, Lomond and Linnhe – and one female – Lochy – have settled into their new home well, and are normally found hanging around the treetops of their enclosure.

While they may seem similar to a pet cat, Scottish wildcats have a more wide, flat head and a bushy tail with dark rings around it. There are also differences in their genetics and blood type.

It is thought that there are as little as 400 of these wildcats left, making them more rare than the Amur tiger.

Image courtesy of RZSS

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VMD invites students to apply for EMS placement

News Story 1
 The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is inviting applications from veterinary students to attend a one-week extramural studies (EMS) placement in July 2026.

Students in their clinical years of study have until 28 February to apply for the placement, which takes place at the VMD's offices in Addlestone, Surrey, from 6-10 July 2026.

Through a mixture of lectures and workshops, the placement will explore how veterinary medicines are authorised, non-clinical career opportunities, and other important aspects of the VMD's work.  

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News Shorts
Survey seeks ruminant sector views on antimicrobial stewardship

A new survey is seeking views of people working in the UK ruminant sector on how to tackle the challenge of demonstrating responsible antibiotic stewardship.

Forming part of a wider, collaborative initiative, the results will help identify the types of data available so that challenges with data collection can be better understood and addressed.

Anyone working in the UK farming sector, including vets and farmers,is encouraged to complete the survey, which is available at app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk