The family of a vet missing after the capsize of a live export vessel are calling for the resumption and broadening of the search. 25-year-old Mount Isa vet Lukas Orda is among 40 crew members missing from the Gulf Livestock 1, a vessel which capsized amid typhoons off Japan in […]
Japanese duo caught leaving with lizards
Western Australian authorities have stopped two Japanese men from smuggling 30 lizards out of the country. The men were caught with 28 shingleback lizards, an unspecified skink and a bearded dragon in their checked baggage at Perth International Airport. It is believed the reptiles could have been worth about $130,000 […]
Japanese vets explore up-skilling, Downunder
A number of Japanese veterinarians have attended a two day neurosurgical workshop at the University of Queensland (UQ). The event was hosted from July 20-21 by VetPrac, an organisation that provides practical skills training for registered veterinarians in clinical practice. VetPrac director Ilana Mendels coordinated the workshop over six months, […]
Abstracts: Detection of Avian bornavirus 5 RNA in Eclectus roratus with feather picking disorder
Avian bornavirus (ABV) was discovered recently in parrots with proventricular dilatation disease (PDD), a fatal neurological disease. Although ABV has been shown to be a causative agent of PDD, the virological characteristics of ABV are largely unknown. Here we report the detection of ABV genotype 5 RNA in Eclectus roratus […]
Caring in a crisis
The devastating impact of the March 11 Japan earthquake, ensuing tsunami and nuclear crisis has prompted three not-for-profit groups to form a coalition focusing on the welfare of animals. Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support (JEARS) was formed a day after a magnitude 9.0 quake and tsunami killed more than […]