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Animals enjoy Easter treats at London Zoo
Asiatic lion cub Shanti explores enormous scented Easter egg at London Zoo.

Lions, meerkats and lemurs tuck into their favourite snacks. 

With the Easter holidays in full swing, keepers at ZSL London Zoo are treating their residents to “an assortment of seasonal surprises”, including an enormous papier-mâché egg for the young lions to investigate and enjoy.

While chocolate is not on the menu, the animals are enjoying a feast of some of their favourite snacks, specially prepared for the occasion. The Zoo’s endangered ring-tailed lemurs have been enjoying sweet potato cubes, hidden in a carefully handcrafted nest, woven from dried grapevines, twine and rope.

Elsewhere, the zoo’s meerkats, Frank, Penelope and Dracula, put their exploratory skills to the test by foraging inside another papier-mâché egg filled with mealworms. Lion cubs Mali, Syanii and Shanti, who turned one last month, have also been delighting visitors with their playful antics — pouncing and rolling around on a giant Easter egg, scented with perfumes and spices. 

Zoological operations manager, Dan Simmonds, said: “Easter is often a time for treats, and while there were no chocolate eggs in sight for the animals, our meerkats and ring-tailed lemurs enjoyed some of their favourites — mealworms and sweet potato.

“Our Asiatic lion cubs, who have just turned one, are at a crucial stage in their development, honing their natural exploratory and hunting instincts. Enrichment — like the enormous, scented Easter egg — plays an important role in this, helping to diversify their habitat and encouraging them to fully engage their strength and remarkably keen sense of smell.”

Image (C) ZSL London Zoo.

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Greyhound Board announces change to vaccination guidance

News Story 1
 The Greyhound Board of Great Britain has published new vaccination guidance, with all greyhounds registered from 1 January, 2027 required to have the L4 leptospirosis vaccination, rather than L2.

The change comes in response to the reduced availability of the 'L2' Leptospirosis vaccine across the UK, and aims to support best biosecurity practice across the racing greyhound population.

GBGB veterinary director Simon Gower, said "While rare, Leptospirosis is a serious infectious disease that can affect both dogs and humans, so it is vital that we offer our greyhounds the broadest possible protection.  

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News Shorts
Free webinar explores congenital heart disease in dogs

A free webinar is to provide veterinary professionals, dog breeders and pet owners an new insights into congenital heart disease.

Chris Linney, a cardiology specialist and Veterinary Cardiovascular Society (VSC) member, will present the webinar from 7.00pm to 8.30pm on Wednesday, 12 November.

Dr Linney will explore the types, causes and clinical presentation of congenital heart conditions. This will include diagnostic approaches, treatment pathways and emerging research opportunities.

The session is the third to be organised by The Kennel Club, with the VCS, following an introductory webinar and a talk on acquired heart disease. Dr Linney's webinar consists of a one-hour presentation, followed by a 30-minute question and answer session.

Dr Linney said: "This webinar will be an opportunity to deepen understanding - not just of the diseases themselves, but of how breeders, vets and owners can work together to support affected dogs and improve outcomes for future generations."

Click here to register for the webinar.