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Monkey Twins Born
Tic and Tac make father Minty proud.
Twin silvery marmosets born at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo have been named Tic and Tac after the famous mint sweets and join a family that’s truly “minted”.

The tiny pair were born to mum Humbug and dad Minty and are being looked after by the proud parents and sister Murray.
 
Keepers chose the minty names due to the brilliant silvery white colouring of the monkeys, who originate from the South American Rainforests. The pair were born two months ago but are only now clearly visible to visitors who can see them as they take their first leaps away from mum and dad in their indoor and outdoor quarters, to the right of the otter pond.

The pair were born two months ago but are only now clearly visible to visitors
The marmosets were only 5cms (2ins) in size when born and when fully grown will reach about 20cms (8ins) long, minus their tails. Keeper Carole Day said bringing up the pair is a family affair.


The marmoset are attracting much attention.
“The are a close-knit group and both dad and mum take their fair share of feeding and carrying and so does big sister as it is all part of her training for when she is a mum herself,” she said.

“The twins are already getting used to outdoors as they are carried out regularly by the family. You can even hear them screech as they are left out on a branch, but this is all part of growing up.”


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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.