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Breeders are encouraged to maximise turnout whenever possible.

Thoroughbred foals who spend more time in large pastures and weaned later in life are more likely to race, compete more often and earn more prize money, according to new research.

The study by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) followed 129 thoroughbred foals born between 2019 and 2020 on six stud farms. Researchers gathered data on maternal health, foal health and race performance up to the age of four.

They found that foals that spent more time turned out at pasture in the first six months of life, and foals that were weaned at an older age, were more likely to race at least once by the end of their fourth year of life.

Furthermore, the older the foals were at weaning, the greater number of race stats they made, and foals that were turned out in larger paddocks during the first six months of life earned more prize money.

The study, published in the Equine Veterinary Journal, is the first of its kind to link early-life conditions with long-term race performance.

It suggests that the first six months of life is a critical period of development in Thoroughbreds. Breeders are therefore encouraged to maximise turnout whenever possible, and to consider weaning after this critical period.

Dr Rebecca Mouncey, veterinary surgeon and post-doctoral research fellow at the RVC, said: “This study is the first of its type to evaluate the effect of early-life experiences on later-life performance in Thoroughbred racehorses, providing important novel findings that can be directly applied at the stud farm level to reduce wastage and improve performance in this population.

“Our findings highlight that the first six months of life are a critical period of development in Thoroughbreds, during which we must be mindful to ensure that our management practices provide sufficient opportunity for positive tissue adaptation and optimise development.”  

Image (C) RVC.

The arrival brings hope for the future of this incredibly rare bird species.

Eight Socorro doves have hatched at Chester Zoo, raising hope for the survival of this incredibly rare bird.

The zoo announced the hatching as part of a multi-national effort to ensure the future of the species. There are currently around 200 Socorro doves being cared for in zoos across Europe and North America.

Several of the chicks are said to be almost fully fledged, and there is a possibility that another clutch of eggs might be on the way. 

Socorro doves originate from Socorro Island off the coast of Mexico. However, habitat destruction and predation from feral cats have ultimately led to their extinction in the wild.

The species is unique in that the birds do not form flocks, preferring to pair off or live alone. They also share chick-rearing duties. 

Clare Rafe, assistant team manager for birds, said: “It’s a 50-50 arrangement most of the time, but we have found the females will raise their chicks up to a point and then become ready to mate again, so they’ll start raising a new clutch of eggs before the first have fledged.
 
“It’s very intense for them, but it’s a way of increasing their numbers rapidly – which they need to do to survive. In the wild, they would only have perhaps a two or three-month nesting window between storms and heat waves. 
 
“When that happens, the fathers take over with the older chicks, feeding them and caring for them. The males can be quite territorial and aggressive, which makes pairing them tricky, but we’ve found one of them has transferred that into protectiveness for his chicks.”

The Socorro dove conservation breeding programme was formally established in 1995 following approval by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).

Long-term plans include working ZSL London and with African Safari, a park in Mexico, to move towards reintroducing Socorro doves to the wild. In the meantime, the chicks will continue to be cared for by avian experts.

Clare added: “We’ll keep looking after these amazing birds. They might look quite plain and brown from a distance, but they have what looks like shimmery blusher on their heads. They have big personalities, too, with the males being a bit aggro – they certainly aren’t peace doves!”

Image (C) Chester Zoo.

The ornithologist will help people from all backgrounds connect with nature. 

British-Bangladeshi ornithologist, author and campaigner Dr Mya-Rose Craig has been unveiled as a new Ambassador for the RSPCA.

Dr Mya-Rose, who heads up the charity Black2Nature, will help people from all walks of life connect with nature and understand how they can change animals’ lives for the better.

She was unveiled as ambassador during a social event in Bristol, where a team of children from Black2Nature came together for a litter pick to improve the local environment. 

Dr Mya-Rose said: “I couldn't be more excited to be working with the RSPCA. There's so much to do to protect and preserve our beautiful country's amazing wildlife.



“As an ambassador, I hope to use my platform to encourage more people to get involved and discover the often simple, yet impactful, ways we can all help animals and nature in our own communities.”

Dr Mya-Rose founded Black2Nature when she was just 13 years old to better the mental and physical health of Visible Minority Ethnic Children.

At present, ethnic minorities are reported to have 11 times less access to green spaces than others in society. Through her role as Ambassador, Dr Mya-Rose aims to encourage people from all backgrounds to understand more about wildlife, nature and how they can get involved.

The RSPCA’s head of VIP engagement Sara Howlett, added: “Everyone at the RSPCA is absolutely over the moon to welcome Dr Mya-Rose on board as an Ambassador.



“Her story is so inspiring - not only her own work to protect birds, wildlife and nature; but how she is inspiring others to experience nature and learn about our natural world.

“She joins a great team of VIP ambassadors - including Shirley Ballas, Pete Wicks, Kate Lawler and Matt Johnson. They all give up so much time, and are dedicated to creating a better world for every animal. They  truly are animal welfare royalty.


“We can’t wait to work even more closely with Mya-Rose to keep inspiring children and young people from all backgrounds to access nature, reap the benefits, and do their bit to make this a kinder and more compassionate nation for every kind of animal.”

Image (C) RSPCA.

Researchers say the rise indicates ‘a genuine cause for concern’.

The number of marine mammal strandings has risen in the last 30 years across all species of dolphins, whales and porpoise native to Scottish waters.

Researchers at the University of Glasgow used a 30-year dataset collected by the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme to analyse distribution and trends in marine mammal strandings. 

The data revealed rising stranding rates across all cetacean species. However, common dolphins and baleen whales showed an exponential increase in strandings, suggesting they are facing unprecedented pressures in Scottish waters.

Researchers say the exact reasons for the strandings are difficult to pinpoint. However, declining fish stocks, noise pollution, rising sea temperatures and cascading impacts from chemicals and plastics are being attributed to the rise.

Rachel Lennon, lead author and PhD researcher at the University of Glasgow, said: ”Fisheries interactions are recognised as a critical threat for marine mammals, especially for baleen whales in Scotland. As populations begin to recover from the impacts of historic whaling, reports of entanglement have increased. 

“While determining the exact causes of strandings can be complex, identifying these emerging trends provides a vital starting point for targeting future research. It also underscores the value of long-term stranding programmes as practical monitoring tools that can help guide conservation strategies and policy interventions.”

The study included 5,147 cetaceans stranded in Scotland between 1992 and 2022. Harbour porpoises accounted for more than half of all the strandings (2,676, 52%), followed by pelagic dolphins (1,217, 24%), common dolphins 494, 10%), baleen whales (479, 9%), and deep divers (281, 5%).

Stranding rates for baleen whales and common dolphins remained consistently low during the first two decades of the study, but reports rose sharply from 2010, followed by an exponential increase. 

The data, published in Scientific Reports, also revealed a disproportionate rise in strandings among juveniles of both species, indicating that younger animals may be particularly vulnerable.

Image (C) Shutterstock.

The habit may help to keep birds clean and fertilise coastal waters.

New research published in Current Biology has uncovered a surprising bathroom habit among seabirds in the open ocean.

The University of Tokyo-led study found that streaked shearwaters relieve themselves while flying, not while floating on water, and do so every four to 10 minutes. 

It was an interesting turn of events for lead author Leo Uesaka, who originally set out to study how seabirds run on the sea's surface to take off. 

He said: “While watching the video, I was surprised that they dropped faeces very frequently. I thought it was funny at first, but it turned out to be more interesting and important for marine ecology.”

Owing to their high mineral content, seabird droppings are a highly effective fertiliser for soil - and how they shape ecosystems on land has been well documented. However, far less is known about their impact on the ocean.

In the study, Uesaka strapped tiny cameras to the bellies of 15 streaked shearwaters and recorded some 200 defecation events. He noted that the birds almost always relieved themselves during flight and that it most often occurred after takeoff.

Interestingly, the birds sometimes took flight solely for a bathroom break, returning to the water within a minute. Uesaka notes this suggests that seabirds intentionally avoid going to the toilet while floating.

“Streaked shearwaters have very long and narrow wings, good for gliding, not flapping,” he said. “They have to flap their wings vigorously to take off, which exhausts them. This means the risk of excreting on the sea surface outweighs the effort to take off. There must be a strong reason behind that.” 

The team believes the habit may prevent the birds from fouling their feathers with faces and help them to avoid predators. Another theory is that taking flight could help the birds defecate more easily, compared to a floating position. 

Scientists plan to build on this work by mapping where seabirds release their droppings, offering further insights into the importance of seabird faeces for marine ecology. 

Image (C) Shutterstock.