Your data on MRCVSonline
The nature of the services provided by Vision Media means that we might obtain certain information about you.
Please read our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for details.

In addition, (with your consent) some parts of our website may store a 'cookie' in your browser for the purposes of
functionality or performance monitoring.
Click here to manage your settings.
If you would like to forward this story on to a friend, simply fill in the form below and click send.

Your friend's email:
Your email:
Your name:
 
 
Send Cancel
Depraved penguins shocked scientist
Steve Bloom/Alarmy
Edwardian scientist dared not reveal his research

"Necrophilia, sexual coercion, auto-erotic behaviour, sexual and physical abuse of chicks and homosexual behaviour" were just some of the sexual behaviours of the Adelie penguin which left George Murray Levick, a scientist with the 1910 -1913 Scott Antarctic Expedition, in a state of shock.

During the Antarctic summer of 1911-12, Levick became the first scientist to observe a colony of Adelie penguins and, to this day, the only scientist to have studied an entire breeding cycle there. What he found, however, disturbed him deeply.

He blamed this "astonishing depravity" on "hooligan males" and recorded his observations in Greek, so only the educated could understand. But the section Sexual Habits of the Adelie Penguin was removed from his subsequent paper as it was deemed too shocking, and lost to history.

Now, however, a copy has been unearthed by Douglas Russell, curator of birds at the Natural History Museum, and has been published in the journal Polar Record.

While recent studies have helped scientists understand the "hooligan" behaviour of the penguins, the research is nevertheless "startling stuff." An analysis of Levick's work, written by Russell and colleagues William Sladen and David Ainley, sates: "His observations were, however, accurate, valid and, with the benefit of hindsight, deserving of publication."

Become a member or log in to add this story to your CPD history

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.