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UK's first ever koala joey
Yooranah on the weighing scales with a toy koala
Yooranah clinging to mum Alinga

He was born the size of a jelly bean and is weighed on "baking scales"

The UK’s first ever koala joey is a boy, keepers at Edinburgh Zoo have announced.

Although he was born in May, keepers have now checked his sex and have named him Yooranah, an indigenous Australian word meaning “loving”.

He was the size of a jelly bean when he was born, and was hairless and blind.

Yooranah currently weighs a petite 632 grams has to be weighed on a digital scale similar to ones used to measure baking ingredients.

Regular weigh-ins are being carried out now that Yooranah is spending most of his time out of the pouch and clinging to mum Alinga’s belly. 

During his weigh in, Yooranah is placed onto a plush toy koala from the Zoo’s gift shop, to give him something to cling on to for stability as well as comfort.

He is putting on around 10 to 11 grams per day and will eventually grow to weigh around 6.5 kilograms (or 14 pounds). Yooranah will move onto the adult’s scale when he is much larger.  

Donald Gow, senior keeper for koalas, primates and hoofstock at Edinburgh Zoo, said: “It’s very exciting to watch Yooranah as he grows.

"This is the first time that a koala joey has been born in the UK so it is amazing to see him develop from being pink and hairless into a fully-formed, if tiny, koala.

"At the moment he seems to be all ears. He has also starting to develop his own personality, he can be quite feisty like his mother Alinga and father Goonaroo.”

Images by Edinburgh 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.