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Elephant artist raises money
Shanti pays for new enclosure

An Indian elephant named Shanti from Prague Zoo, Czech Republic, has taken the art market by storm.

Shanti is able to paint with her trunk, and her works can earn up to £1,500 each, with profits being put towards a new 1,400 square metre enclosure for her and her herd. She began painting two years ago as part of an experiment into elephant intelligence, but has also starred in movies and worked as a circus performer.

Zoo director Pavel Bobek commented: "Each painting takes her about 20 minutes and luckily she doesn't tire of doing them because there is always a snack at the end of one and she's always hungry."

"She destroyed quite a lot of easels and canvases in the early days but she now has a very light touch," said her keeper Veronika Struplova.

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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.

 

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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.