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Scientists observe animal behaviour during solar eclipse
Rhinos and giraffes started running when the sky turned black and flamingoes flocked closer together.

Rhinos began running around and birds became more vocal

As the solar eclipse took place in America on Monday (21 August), scientists across the country camped out in zoos, wildlife parks and aquariums to see how the animals would react.

At the South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston, experts set up a series of cameras to record the animals’ response. Monitoring stations were also set up in the Salt Marsh Aviary and Mountain Forest Exhibits.

At Nashville Zoo, some 7,000 people gathered to observe the once-in-a-lifetime event. Rhinos and giraffes started running when the sky turned black and flamingoes flocked closer together. However, zookeepers were unsure if the strange behaviour was a reaction to the eclipse or a reaction to the noise of the crowd.

Zoo spokesperson Jim Bartoo told Fox News that the kangaroos became nervous, but it seemed more because of the cheers that erupted during the eclipse instead of the darkness.

During the eclipse, members of the public were encouraged to report their wildlife observations on the iNaturalist App, created by the California Academy of Science.

According to reports, people noted cows mooing, crickets chirping and fireflies emerging. However, most of the observations submitted suggested that animals didn’t really do much at all.

A Business Insider editor in Los Angeles said that a swarm of bees hit her office window after the eclipse passed, possibly because they were confused by the moment of darkness.

At Memphis Zoo, staff reported that the Nile crocodiles became very active. One zookeeper said that they’d not seen so much activity from them during all their time at the zoo. As the darkness fell, black bears started to run around and birds became more vocal.

Image (C) Denys.

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RUMA CA&E extends survey deadline

News Story 1
 RUMA CA&E has extended the deadline for its online survey into vaccine availability.

Vets, SQPs, retailers and wholesalers will now have until Friday, 26 September at 5pm to submit their response.

The survey aims to further understanding into the vaccine supply challenges faced by the sector. It will also consider the short and long term impacts of disruption issues.

Insights are anonymous, and will be shared with industry stakeholders and government bodies.

The survey can be accessed here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA publishes Guide to Nutrition in Small Animal Practice

The BSAVA has added a small animal nutrition advice booklet to its series of BSAVA guides.

The BSAVA Guide to Nutrition in Small Animal Practice offers a resource for veterinary professionals to provide appropriate nutrition for animals. As well as maintaining the wellbeing of healthy pets, the guide explores how nutritional requirements change in times of illness and disease.

The guide is divided into five sections, which explore the importance of nutritional assessment; diet types; feeding at different life stages; feeding for specific situations; and feeding for specific diseases. Online resources are also in the BSAVA Library including client handouts and videos.

It is designed to be suitable for referencing, in-depth case planning and team training sessions.

The BSAVA Guide to Nutrition in Small Animal Practice can be purchased online from the BSAVA store.