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Common crane returns to the UK
Cranes became extinct in the UK in the 1600s.
Graceful bird is fabled for its complex display dance.

After a break of almost 400 years, the common crane is making a welcome return to the UK thanks to extensive conservation efforts.

Cranes became extinct in the UK in the 1600s owing to a combination of hunting and wetland decline. Now an estimated 200 birds are thought to be living across the UK, reaping the benefits of improved habitat management.

Adult cranes stand at 4ft and are fabled for their “complex” display dances of bows, pirouettes and bobs. They were even frequent fixtures at medieval feasts - Henry II’s chefs are said to have cooked up 115 of them at his Christmas feast in 1251.

In 1979, a small number of wild cranes returned to Norfolk and conservation groups have been working together to encourage more of these birds. The cranes have now spread to other areas of the UK, including the RSPB’s Lakenheath and Nene Washes reserves, as well as Natural England’s Humberhead Peatlands.

In 2010, the Great Crane Project was formed - a partnership between the RSPB, WWT and the Pensthorpe Conservation Trust. The project creates and improves existing habitat, as well as hand-rearing young birds for release on the Somerset Levels and Moors.

Damon Bridge, chair of the UK Crane Working Group explained: “The increase of cranes over the last few years shows just how resilient nature can be when given the chance. With the support of our wonderful partners, we’ve been able to recreate more and more of the cranes’ natural habitat, giving them a place to recuperate after the winter and raise their chicks. They are not yet out of the woods, but their continued population climb year after year is a very positive sign.”

Andrew Stanbury, RSPB conservation scientist added: “Thanks to the dedication of individuals, the UK Crane Working Group and conservation organisations, we are delighted to see crane numbers continuing to recover. Nature reserves have played a vital role. At least 85 per cent of the breeding population are found on protected sites, with a third on RSPB reserves alone”.

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RCVS Knowledge appoints Veterinary Evidence editor-in-chief

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has welcomed Professor Peter Cockcroft as editor-in-chief for Veterinary Evidence.

A world-renowned expert in evidence-based veterinary medicine, Prof Cockcroft will lead the strategic development and editorial quality of the open-access journal. He was previously in the role from 2017-2020.

Katie Mantell, CEO of RCVS Knowledge, said: "We are excited about the extensive knowledge of evidence-based veterinary medicine and clinical veterinary research that Peter brings, and we look forward to working with him over this next phase of the journal's development." 

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CVS Group hit by cyber attack

CVS Group, which owns more than 450 veterinary practices in the UK, has been hit by a cyber attack.

In a statement, the group said the incident involved unauthorised external access to a limited number of its IT systems. As soon as the attack was discovered, the group took its IT systems temporarily offline, causing 'considerable operational disruption'.

It has warned that the security steps taken and ongoing plans to move its operational systems and IT infrastructure to the Cloud are likely to have an ongoing impact over a number of weeks.

Due to the risk that personal information was accessed, CVS has informed the Information Commissioner's Office. The company is working with third party consultants to investigate the incident.