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British Airways opens rescued lion enclosure
The lionesses are settling into their brand new enclosure.

Move forms part of airline’s commitment to end ‘exploitative tourism’

A new rescued lion enclosure in South Africa has been opened by British Airways Holidays in partnership with Born Free. The enclosure is already home to two lionesses, Alpha and Cora, who were initially rescued from a failed zoo in Spain.

The move follows British Airways' announcement earlier this year about the launch of its new animal welfare policy. Developed in partnership with Born Free, the policy aims to bring an end to ‘exploitative tourism’ that sees animals kept in captivity.

Born Free provided specialist care to the lionesses as they travelled from their temporary home in Belgium to London, and then on a British Airways flight to Cape Town. Alpha and Cora then travelled a short distance by road to the 40-acre Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa.

The lionesses are settling into their brand new enclosure, which is a world away from the cramped and neglected conditions they were experiencing in Spain and will allow them to exhibit natural behaviour. The zoo in Spain has been closed following a raft of infringements.

Claire Bentley, managing director of British Airways Holiday, said: “We are delighted to have been able to support Born Free and enable Alpha and Cora to spend the rest of their lives in their natural habitat.
We know our customers are behind us in supporting causes like this and we are proud that our new Animal Welfare Policy and its various initiatives will help improve the lives of animals living in captivity all over the world.”

Forming part of the partnership between Born Free and British Airways is the “Raise the Red Flag” Initiative that allows members of the public to report concerns about wild animals being kept in captivity.

Dr. Chris Draper, head of animal welfare & captivity at Born Free, said: “It’s extremely gratifying to see how much Alpha and Cora have improved and are settling into their brand-new enclosure.
It is virtually impossible to enable big cats brought up in horrific conditions in captivity to be released to the wild, so their new home will create an environment as close to their natural habitat as possible and encourage them to exhibit their natural behaviour.”

Image (C) Born Free.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.