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Counting the animals two-by-two
Image lions
London Zoo carries out its annual stocktake

Keepers at ZSL London Zoo are kicking off the new year with a mammoth task - counting every animal for the annual stocktake.

Each individual bird, fish, mammal, invertebrate, reptile and amphibian will be counted by the zoo's keepers today (January 2, 2014). Keepers will also carry out the slow task of counting hundreds of Partula snails, which were moved to the zoo recently ahead of their release into the wild, planned for next year.

Over the past year, the zoo has welcomed a number of new arrivals, including Kumbuka, a silverback western lowland gorilla who joined Gorilla Kingdom's three females as part of the European breeding programme for endangered species.

London zoo also recently celebrated the birth of three spiny headed tree lizards - the first to ever be born in a UK zoo.

The annual stocktake is a compulsory part of the zoo's license and the results are recorded in the International Species Information System (ISIS), which is used to manage international breeding programmes for endangered species.

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

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News Shorts
RCVS annual renewal fee for vets due

RCVS' annual renewal fee for veterinary surgeons is now due. Vets must pay their renewal fee before Wednesday, 1 April 2026.

This year's standard annual fee has increased to 431 from last year's 418. This is an approximately three per cent increase, as approved by RCVS Council and the Privy Council.

Tshidi Gardner, RCVS treasurer, said: "The small fee increase will be used to help deliver both our everyday activities and our new ambitious Strategic Plan, which includes aims such as achieving new legislation, reviewing the Codes of Professional Conduct and supporting guidance, and continuing to support the professions through activities such as the Mind Matters Initiative, RCVS Academy and career development."

A full breakdown of the new fees is on the RCVS website. Information about tax relief is available on the UK government website.