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Iguana escapes fire by jumping on fireman's helmet
The fireman didn't realise the iguana had jumped on to his head at first.

Pet was carried to safety by startled crew member

Firefighters from the Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service made a surprise rescue while extinguishing a house fire in Corby, as an iguana leaped on to a team member's helmet to escape the blaze.

The team responded to a call about a fire caused by a faulty reptile heating mat at 11pm on Wednesday 6 January.

As they tackled the flames, the owner's pet iguana jumped to safety on to one of the firemen's helmets.

Speaking to the BBC, a spokeswoman for the Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “The fireman... didn’t realise the iguana had climbed on top of him at first as he initially thought it was a colleague touching his helmet.”

The animal was unhurt and was carried safely out of the house, although there was some damage to the home, there were no other injuries.

In a tweet about the unique incident, the Service wrote: “One of [the] occupants couldn't wait to be rescued and jumped to safety to hitch a ride out!!”

The public responded to the tweet, praising the brave work of the firefighters and wishing the best for the brave reptile and it's owners.

Image (c) Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service.

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.