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EmailIphone Application    Posted: 17th November 2017
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Major project set to save species from extinction
The project will also help 200 species that are under threat, including hedgehogs.
Collaborative programme aims to help over 200 species

A ground-breaking new project has seen UK wildlife charities and conservation bodies come together for the first time, in a bid to save threatened species from extinction.

The ambitious programme, Back from the Brink, aims to rescue 20 species that are on the cusp of extinction. It will also help another 200 species that are under threat, including the grey long-eared bat, pine marten, willow tit, lesser butterfly orchid and hedgehog.

Natural England chairman Andrew Sells said: “This project is nothing short of a revolution in conservation. Never before have so many people pledged to work together to save so many of England’s individual plants and animals. It comes not a moment too soon for many important species and draws together a wide range of people and organisations.”

Back from the Brink has been made possible by £4.6 million funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Launching the project in Windsor, conservationists and volunteers prematurely aged specially selected trees, to create much-needed homes for thousands of creatures at Great Windsor Park. This involves simulating exposure to the elements and fungi that a tree would expect to see over the course of a century, in just one afternoon.

Over 2,000 species in the UK are dependent on ancient trees, but this important habitat is in decline as not enough younger trees are maturing in time to fill the gap when existing ancients pass away. As a result, species that rely on deadwood and ancient trees will have no new habitat in which to live.

Buglife’s tree experts have found a number of trees that, with a little work, can take on the features of ancients, ensuring the many rare species found in the park continue to have a suitable habitat.

School children, college students and local volunteers will also be planting native trees in the park.

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
New guidance for antibiotic use in rabbits

New best practice guidance on the responsible use of antibiotics in rabbits has been published by the BSAVA in collaboration with the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWA&F).

The guidance is free and has been produced to help veterinary practitioners select the most appropriate antibiotic for rabbits. It covers active substance, dose and route of administration all of which are crucial factors when treating rabbits owing to the risk of enterotoxaemia.

For more information and to access the guide, visit the BSAVALibrary.