A Day with Dr Temple Grandin

On 16^th May, members of the University of Edinburgh Animal Welfare and Ethics Society (AWES) and the Dick Vet Behaviour Society (DVBS) welcomed Professor Temple Grandin of Colorado State University to R(D)SVS. Professor Grandin participated in informal discussions with students, and gave a seminar to the staff and students of the R(D)SVS, SRUC and Roslin Institute on animal welfare, behaviour, links with the autistic brain, and the impact of genetics and breeding.

‘We learned that animals, much like people with autism, think in pictures. A horse previously abused by a man in a black cowboy hat will show signs of fear for this specific image. A man in a white cowboy hat or a man with a black cowboy hat in his hand will not trigger a fear response. Important topics concerning genetic responsibility were also raised. If you select excessively for a behaviour or physical trait you will be inadvertently selecting for other, less desirable traits. Dr Grandin gave a wonderful example of how a bull, bred for docility would let her scratch its back but when asked to go in to the crush it violently kicked both back legs’ said Ela Russell, 4^th Year BVM&S and AWES President.

After the talk Prof Grandin answered audience questions and had lunch with AWES, DVBS and PhD students from JMICAWE and SRUC. PhD students took the opportunity to discuss their research with Prof Grandin on a range of topics from the effects of tickling rats to attitudes towards horse welfare in the traveller/gypsy community. In the afternoon Ela interviewed Prof Grandin using questions submitted by R(D)SVS students and covering topics such as current welfare issues, the squeeze machine and the impact of technology on animal welfare.

‘It was particularly interesting talking about the potential benefits of technology, for example, robotic milking systems can improve welfare. Dr Grandin mentioned about how if you calculate how much milk the dam is producing, take away how much the calf needs and only allow the robot to take that much milk there is huge potential to keep calves at foot’, said Ela.

To close the day R(D)SVS students and clinicians accompanied Prof Grandin to Langhill Dairy Farm to discuss the practical application of the behavioural and welfare principles discussed earlier in the day. Prof Grandin strongly highlighted the importance of our (stockworkers, vets and farmers) interactions with livestock, and emphasised how each interaction has the potential to develop negative or undesirable behaviours. Another area of particular interest was the discussion on separation distress. A student asked why when the teaching cows are put in the crush they sometimes vocalise, and not in response to physical stimuli. Temple Grandin explained how it could be because the restrained cow cannot see her herd. The vocalisation could be her communicating with the other cows or an expression of her experiencing separation distress.

This event was the first major event AWES has organised and run, and was a great learning opportunity for the students. The trip was made possible by support from Medica CPD and JMICAWE in bringing Temple to Edinburgh.

Blog post by Ela Russell

Delivering workshops and visiting bears - China 2019

Heather and Jess have just returned from a successful trip to China where they collaborated with our long-term partners Animals Asia to deliver a 1 day animal behaviour and welfare seminar to around 60 participants and 2 days of veterinary skills training to veterinary surgeons from across Nanning. The workshop feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and the JMICAWE team look forward to building on this initial workshop with further activities and training events planned over the next three years.

We were also delighted to visit the Animals Asia rescue centres in Chengdu and Nanning – home to over 100 bears rescued from the trade in bear bile. As the previous veterinary director for Animals Asia, it was a great opportunity for heather to reconnect with some old furry friends and also to see the amazing work of Animals Asia continuing on. We were especially pleased to meet Jeanne, a bear rescued from a Nanning bear farm and named in memory of Jeanne Marchig, the benefactor of our own animal welfare centre here at the R(D)SVS.

MSc validated by ASAB

Exciting news!

We are delighted to announce that the University of Edinburgh online MSc Clinical Animal Behaviour has now been formally validated by the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB) as delivering the academic elements necessary for an individual to achieve ASAB certification as a Clinical Animal Behaviourist within the UK.

Further information about the online MSc Clinical Animal Behaviour

Farewell and job opportunity

Farewell

This month, our lovely Administrator, Lucy Ewing moved to a new job with the University of Edinburgh, after working with the Marchig Centre for over three years. We wish Lucy all the best in her new role and we will miss working with her!

Job opportunity

Would you or someone you know like to work with us? We are now inviting applications for the part-time Administrator role (4 days per week). This is a challenging and varied position based in the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh. We are looking for someone to provide effective administrative support for the Centre’s overseas activities as well as working with the Director and the rest of the animal welfare team to provide support for internal activities involving teaching and a variety of projects.

Further information and how to apply can be found:  https://www.ed.ac.uk/human-resources/jobs

Vacancy Ref :

047889

In memory of Dr Fiona Rioja-Lang

In memory of Dr Fiona Rioja-Lang

It is with great sadness that we have to announce the untimely death of our friend and colleague Fiona Rioja-Lang. Fiona had just completed a research project with the JMICAWE team on developing a prioritised list of animal welfare issues for different species of managed animals in the UK, and her sudden death has been a great shock to us all.

Fiona was a graduate of the MSc Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare at University of Edinburgh, and completed her PhD with SRUC and University of Edinburgh in dairy cow welfare. She is very well known in the animal welfare community: following her work in Scotland, she spent some time in Canada working on dairy cow and pig welfare, and was actively involved in the International Society for Applied Ethology. Fiona was a wonderful colleague, she will be remembered for her enthusiastic, open and friendly approach to her work and her positive attitude to life. She was committed to animal welfare, and has made a significant contribution to the lives of animals, from her personal work with street dogs in Mexico, to her academic work on farmed livestock.

She will be greatly missed by all her friends and colleagues in JMICAWE, SRUC, University of Edinburgh and beyond. Our hearts are with her husband, Rodolfo, her children and family at this sad time.