News about Animals

Iconic savanna mammals face genetic problems due to fences and roads

Wildebeest migrations have become a rarer sight in Africa as humans continue to interrupt their historic migratory routes with roads, fences, cities, livestock and farmland. This has led to genetic decay in those herds…

A new family tree revises our understanding of bird evolution

A team of researchers from the Bird 10,000 Genomes (B10K) consortium has reported a new bird family tree that promises to reshape our understanding of avian evolution. Published in Nature on April 1st, 2024, the study…

Mediterranean marine worm has developed eyes “as big as millstones"

Scientists are amazed at the discovery of a bristle worm with such sharp-seeing eyes that they can measure up to those of mammals and octopuses. The researchers from University of Copenhagen and Lund University suspect…

PhD-student wins poster price at the SVEPM 2024 Conference

At the annual European conference in Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, SVEPM, PhD-student Helene Ane Jensen won the poster price.

Ethicists’ commentary navigating client requests to engage in “harmless” fraud or rule-bending

Ethical question of the month, January 2024 Your clients compete at international horse shows that have strict biosecurity rules. These competitions require preventative vaccinations that are recorded in passports with…

Avian Influenza Group participated in the SVEPM 2024 Conference

The avian influenza epidemiology research influenza group participated in the annual SVEPM conference in 2024 with 5 contributions. Yangfan Liu showcased her work on a mathematical model for the spread of avian influenz…

Cat and dog owners’ expectations and attitudes towards advanced veterinary care (AVC) in the UK, Austria and Denmark

This questionnaire study investigate cat and dog owners’ expectations and attitudes towards advanced veterinary care, and the factors that might influence those views.

Researcher: Seven billion newly hatched chicks are killed every year – but a ban is not the solution

Annually, the global egg industry kills seven billion day-old male chicks because they don’t lay eggs and aren’t worth raising for meat. While several countries have banned the practice, neither bans nor other current…

EU-project PREPARE4VBD held Annual meeting in Kenya

The PREPARE4VBD Project held their 3rd Annual Consortium meeting and summer-school in Kenya.

Gene flow in giraffes and what it means for their conservation

Giraffes, with their bizarre body plan, have always held a special place in the minds of evolutionary biologists and non-experts alike. In a new study, led by a team of researchers from the University of Copenhagen,…

Taconic Colony Management Solutions

This could be a possibility if expansion of a breeding strain is necessary for your research during the refurbishment of AEM's SPF breeding facility, and AEM cannot find space for it. We hope to be able to welcome you…

Transnetyx genotyping services

One of the possibilities is to use an external service, like TransnetYX, and establish a Tag Center where ear punches can be collected and sent from. At this meeting information on this approach will be presented and…

Ethicists’ commentary on considerations when judging whether to formally report a colleague’s potential misconduct

Ethical question of the month, December 2023 A veterinarian in our area has developed a reputation for significant errors that individually might be forgiven, but as they multiply, start to form a pattern. The range…

Dominance hierarchy does not influence distances travelled and area utilization in a large group of ponies

This study investigated the influence of dominance hierarchy on the locomotor behaviour and area utilization in a large group of horses in a pasture-based housing system in Northern Germany.

Relationship between animal-based on-farm indicators and meat inspection data in pigs

This study aimed to validate slaughterhouse indicators collected during meat inspection as an alternative to on-farm animal welfare indicators.

Succesful kickoff-meeting held with 20 partners from 10 countries

Link to Horizon Europe Fact Sheet about the PAIR Project On January 22-23, 2024, the Kickoff meeting for the PAIR project was held at the Technical University of Denmark. The two-day meeting included lively discussion…

Impact of contaminated biological material in animals' health and in research data

Do you value your research data so much to assume that it is not contaminated by pathogenic agents? Did you know that lab animals’ health and welfare is of vital importance in order to produce valid and reproducible…

Conflict behaviour in Icelandic horses during elite competition

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of conflict behaviour in Icelandic horses competing at elite level in breed-specific gait competitions

Ethicists’ commentary on medical and professional challenges arising from inconsistent treatment policies within a clinic

Ethical question of the month, November 2023 You are a recent graduate working in a small animal hospital with a longtime veterinary owner and a loyal clientele. You are presented with a small dog that has a history…

Accuracy of three diagnostic tests to detect tooth resorption in unowned unsocialised cats in Denmark

This paper estimates the relative diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of oral clinical examination of cats and finds that cone-beam CT is the superior image modality.

Are biters sick? Health status of tail biters in comparison to control pigs

The findings of this paper show that behavioural tests might be helpful in identifying tail biters among pigs and highlight the need for appropriate and adjusted nutrient and mineral supply, especially with regard to…

Integrating Point-of-Care Diagnostics and Epidemiological Modeling

The object of a new EU-funded project named PAIR uniting 7 countries.

New website launched: www.enigmahpai.org

Avian influenza poses significant challenges to animal welfare, food security, and public health, affecting both wild birds and poultry flocks.

New study: Pig welfare outweighs climate concerns for consumers

Consumers would rather pay more for higher-welfare pork than for pork with a reduced climate footprint. Politicians and the pork industry can learn from the result, according to the researchers behind the University of…