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Take a nap and raise money
lion
Just 25,000 lions remain in the wild in Africa.
Wildlife charity holds sleep themed fund raisers

The opportunity to raise funds for charity by having a leisurely, relaxing time doesn't come along that often but you can support the Born Free Foundation this week by taking part in their annual "Big Cat Nap".

Forget marathons, bike rides, sponsored walks and hikes, the international wildlife charity event encourages you to behave like a big cat - particularly a male lion that sleeps for up to 23 hours a day - and raise money by taking it easy.

Big Cat Nap week runs from Monday, June 30 to Sunday, July 6 and aims to highlight the plight of some of the world's most beautiful and endangered animals through a range of sleep-themed activities. You could choose to get sponsored for wearing pyjamas to work or school, raise cash by staying in bed or inviting friends over for a slumber party or if that's all too energetic you can take a sleepy pet selfie (human involvement optional) and share it via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #BigCatNap.

With big cat numbers plummeting - only 25,000 lions remain in the wild in Africa with an estimated 3,500 tigers living wild in their native India - work to save these iconic species is desperate and has reached critical levels.

All money raised through the Big Cap Nap will go directly to supporting Born Free's big cat projects, helping to protect threatened big cat species in the wild and assisting in the daily care of the charity's rescued animals.

Donating is easy - just text ZZZZ13 followed by the amount you would like to donate - £1, £5, £10, etc - to 70070. Born Free will receive 100 per cent of the donation and text messages are free on all networks. See http://www.justgiving.com/en/justtextgiving for more information or visit www.bornfree.org.uk/the-big-cat-nap.

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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. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.