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Silver fox rescued after two-week mission
The fox was named Shadow by his rescuers.
The abandoned fox had been spotted in Welsh town.

A silver fox has finally been safely captured by animal rescuers after being regularly spotted around the town of Barry, Wales, for the past two weeks.

Since he was first been spotted on 8 April, numerous reports about the fox had been made to Black Foxes UK, an organisation which records sightings of unusually coloured foxes.

Local residents in the nearby village of Sully also reported seeing the fox,
which was presumed to be an escaped pet, and plans were put in place to humanely capture the animal.

With the help of a local authority animal warden and a cat rescue team from the Shua Trust Home and Sanctuary, the fox was caught on Monday, 24 April.

There had been reports the fox had a leg injury, but when he was taken to a local veterinary practice, he was found to be in good health. Named Shadow by his rescuers, he appears to be around two years old.

Inquiries have been made to try to find his owner, but have so far been unsuccessful. Silver foxes are sometimes kept as exotic pets, although the RSPCA does not advise or condone keeping one.

The silver fox, also known as the black fox, is a variety of the North American red fox. It was first brought to the UK for the fur trade in the early 1900s. The colour of its fur can range from glossy black to bluish-grey.

It’s not the first time a silver fox has been captured in Barry. In 2021, a silver fox called Luna was also found abandoned.

Hayley de Ronde, founder of Black Foxes UK, praised the contribution made by Shua Trust in rescuing Shadow, saying they had gone ‘above and beyond’ to provide emergency assistance.

 

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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.