Lords Committee calls for ban on unchecked flea treatment sales

Five secretarybirds hatch as part of an international breeding programme.

Keepers at Chester Zoo are celebrating the arrival of five secretarybird chicks, marking the first time the species has been bred at the zoo in its 95-year history.

The chicks hatched to parents John and Jolene, who arrived at the zoo as part of a coordinated international effort to safeguard the future of one of Africa’s rarest birds of prey.

Chester Zoo is only one of a few zoos in the UK caring for secretary birds. Only 79 birds exist across the entire European conservation breeding programme, with just three other chicks having hatched elsewhere.

Experts believe the techniques developed at Chester Zoo could now help conservation zoos across Europe boost breeding success.

Jamie Cartwright-Stock, a bird keeper behind the breeding success at Chester Zoo, said: “Seeing five healthy chicks hatch in such a short space of time is an incredible achievement for everyone involved.

“Since John and Jolene arrived at the zoo only a few years ago, we’ve spent a considerable amount of time learning everything we can about their courtship behaviours, breeding biology and exactly what conditions they need to reproduce successfully. We've refined every aspect of their care in a special behind-the-scenes breeding facility at the zoo to reach this point - it really feels like we've reached a major breakthrough.”

With their long, thin legs and distinctive black crest of feathers, secretarybirds are among the world’s most unusual birds of prey. Unlike hawks and eagles, they hunt primarily on foot - striding across African grasslands in pursuit of prey.

In recent years, wild secretary bird populations have decreased dramatically due to the loss of vast areas of Africa’s grasslands to agriculture and urban development. It is estimated that fewer than 6,700 birds remain in the wild.

Andrew Owen, head of birds at Chester Zoo, said: Every chick hatched in conservation zoos is becoming increasingly important for the future of this remarkable species. With five new chicks, we’re playing a leading role in the conservation of these incredible birds.
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Image (C) Chester Zoo. 

Study highlights major health implications for global food systems. 

Chicken meat from Bangladesh, India and Northern Vietnam has been found to contain high levels of antimicrobial residues, significantly exceeding international safety limits.

The study by the Royal Veterinary College, conducted in collaboration with institutions in South and Southeast Asia, highlights major implications for public health and global food systems, particularly in regions where regulatory oversight may be limited.

Led by Ludovic Pelligand, professor of veterinary clinical pharmacology and anaesthesia at the RVC, researchers analysed 558 chicken breast samples collected between 2021 and 22 at the end of the production cycle and at point-of-sale locations in each country.

Their findings revealed a high prevalence of non-compliant samples. At some points of sale, between 3.7 per cent and 8.6 per cent of samples exceeded safety limits, compared to around 0.05 per cent to 0.09 per cent in the EU for the same period. 

Researchers suggest the primary causes are the overuse of antimicrobials, potential administration too close to slaughter, and contaminated feed or water.

‘The high prevalence of the residues ‘represents a public health concern at national and regional levels,’ the team writes, ‘raising the urgent need for robust residue surveillance platforms to test products destined for local consumers in these and other countries where poultry production intensifies rapidly.’

The researchers will next investigate how antimicrobial use throughout the poultry production cycle contributes to residue levels in meat and the development of antimicrobial resistance. 

Ludovic Pelligand said: “This is a landmark study as until now, no cross-country residue data was available with the same standardised methodology in Asia. It required a sustained international effort, for analytical method transfer, sample collection, to coordinated parcel of frozen parcels. We hope the momentum provided by the study will help raise awareness about veterinary drug residues and improve food safety locally.”

Image (C) Nhat Thi Tran.

The charity is asking its supporters to “give what they can”

The National Trust has launched an emergency appeal to help restore the landscape at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk, following a major fire.

Starting on Wednesday (29 July) on neighbouring land, the blaze decimated 220 football pitches’ worth of heathland. It destroyed vital habitats for some of Britain’s rarest species and ruined hectares of unique scenery, including the Heath’s famous carpet of purple heather. 

Now the charity is asking supporters to “give what they can” to support its long-term recovery efforts. 

Hilary McGrady, the Trust’s Director-General, said: “We are looking at total devastation of a beloved and important landscape. We’ve lost precious habitats, wildlife, trees, and a place where people have made memories over generations. It’s heartbreaking.

“But together we can and will restore Dunwich, and crucially, make it more resilient and better adapted for the climate we’re facing now, and the climate we’ll be facing in future.”

Dunwich Heath and the neighbouring RSPB Minsmere reserve are important habitats for heathland birds, including the Dartford warbler, nightjar and skylark. The land, which is also home to lizards, adders and slow-worms, had just started showing signs of recovery following the extreme heat of 2022.

Hilary added: "We’re working hard to tackle climate change and prepare for more of it, but there’s more hard work to be done.

“We can’t do it alone. We’re a charity that relies on public support in so many ways. If you can donate, however much, please don’t hesitate. Your money will go directly to the restoration of Dunwich, to regrow habitats and homes for wildlife, build more resilience into the landscape, and return this iconic place to the nation.”

The Dunwich Heath Fire Appeal can be found at: nationaltrust.org.uk/dunwich-heath-appeal

Image (C) StephenEllis35/Shutterstock.com

Researchers analyse tissue samples in lemon frost geckos.

A pet gecko with an unusually high risk of tumours could be a promising model for understanding how cancer develops and spreads, according to new research.

In a study led by the University of Nottingham, researchers used whole genome sequencing to analyse tissue samples in the lemon frost gecko — a colour morph of the leopard gecko that develops aggressive tumours in over 80 per cent of individuals.

The team identified a series of genomic changes that repeatedly occurred in the tumours. It is understood that many of the affected genes and biological processes play a key role in cancer in other organisms, including humans, suggesting that lemon frost genes could provide vital insights that reach far beyond reptiles.

With its striking white and yellow skin, the lemon frost gecko derives from a spontaneous genetic mutation within a breeding group of leopard geckos.

Unlike traditional models for cancer research, which typically require tumour induction, lemon frost geckos develop tumours naturally early in life. This gives scientists a rare opportunity to investigate how cancer arises, evolves, and spreads in an animal that develops the disease naturally.

Study lead Dr Ylenia Chiari from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Nottingham said: “By studying why some animals are so susceptible to cancer while others are remarkably resistant, we hope to uncover the different ways species have evolved to deal with cancer.

“Specifically, this gecko could become an incredible model in cancer research because tumours appear naturally at a relatively early age. Together, these natural strategies could inspire new ways of preventing, detecting, and treating cancer in humans.”

The study, Dissecting cancer in a non-mammalian model: genomic insights from lemon frost geckos, is published in Springer Nature Link.

Image (C) Fauzan Maududdin/Shutterstock. 

The Donkey Sanctuary hosts European study group.

The Donkey Sanctuary has welcomed some of Europe’s leading scientists and mathematicians to its headquarters to help tackle major donkey welfare challenges.

Forming part of the University of Exeter’s 195th UK European Study Group with Industry (ESGI), the group explored new approaches to strengthen the charity’s Donkey Risk Index (DRI).

The DRI is a tool that identifies where donkeys are most at risk and where support can have the greatest impact, particularly in regions with limited reliable data. During the meeting, the group tested assumptions behind the DRI, evaluated additional risk measures and investigated new ways of predicting how welfare risks may change over time and across different regions.

Alex McKenna, data analytics manager at The Donkey Sanctuary, said: “As a charity we welcome collaboration and partnerships, and this was a brilliant opportunity to work with some of the best minds in maths, science and data to find new and improved ways of helping donkeys wherever they are in the world.”

Dr Stefan Siegert, from the University of Exeter, said: "When people think of mathematics, donkeys aren't usually the first thing that springs to mind - but that's what makes the ESGI Study Group conference so much fun.
 
"Our team was excited to get stuck into further development of the charity’s Donkey Risk Index, applying the same kind of modelling used in public health and environmental science to a completely different (and very lovable) subject.

"It's the sort of quirky, real-world problem that mathematicians thrive on."

Image (C) The Donkey Sanctuary.