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Runaway emu brought back home
Emus can grow to 1.9 metres in height, making them the second-tallest living bird.
The escapee roamed for a mile before he was found.

Jon and Laura Cardy were on their first holiday in years when they received a call saying that their emu had escaped.

Despite being locked in by the pet-sitter the evening before, one-year-old Rodney had leapt over a fence during the night and made his getaway.

Quickly returning to their home in rural Suffolk, Mr and Mrs Cardy set about trying to track down the missing bird, reporting his disappearance to the RSPCA, the RSPB, and the police.

Mr Cardy told the BBC: ”He's a big running bird and can cover a lot of ground quite quickly, so we didn't know where he might be.

"I think he might have been spooked by the storm overnight, and while he's very friendly, he's also very large and inquisitive - and he has a very large beak.

"Rodney is fascinated by anything shiny like rings and earrings and I was worried that if someone saw him coming towards them at high speed they might be a bit freaked out."

After hours of searching, Mr Cardy was sent a video in a local WhatsApp group about a peacock which had been found about a mile from where they lived. It wasn’t a peacock, it was Rodney.

Helped by a friend, Jon located his emu and brought him back home.

Rodney has been part of the Cardy household since he was two weeks old. Mr Cardy added: "He grew up in our kitchen and he is like one of the family.”

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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.