March 23rd 2018 is 'National Puppy Day' and this year I've teamed up with pet food manufacturer Forthglade to help with their campaign #PredForPup to raise awareness of just how many puppies are being bought with little preparation for their care. Taking a on a new puppy is incredibly exciting but can also be extremely daunting. Too often it turns out to be overwhelming and as many as 1 in 10 puppies are rehomed within a month of purchase.
Some pre-purchase preparation will make a huge difference to those initial stressful months of ownership and help make this new addition to your family a go a little smoother. Owning a dog is a real privilege and, as a vet, it's a privilege to help people with this special relationship. 

This month's picture is one of my favourites I've ever taken. Most of the time you see unbelievable wildlife photos, it's because the photographer has spent weeks out in the field waiting for the magic combination of light and subject. However, I was always working, getting in front of the lens and not behind it. Occasionally I would get 5 minutes just to snap a few photos of my own and this was one of those moments. It isn't perfect, the light wasn't hitting the walrus' eyes, but it was good enough for me!

I'm treading the boards this coming month giving a number of talks. One is to the Liverpool Veterinary Students which will be fun but I also have two public talks down South that you are very welcome to come along to. Both are for very good causes and feature other speakers I am really looking forward to hearing. 

Martin and I go way back. He was responsible for most of my most favourite adventures with wildlife. He was also responsible for a few of my near death experiences in extreme environments. We are talking together in aid of the PDSA who we are both very fond of. The event is a village near Winchester and tickets are available online.

This evening is a celebration and alarm call for one of the World's most iconic animals. All species of Rhino are under threat and without concerted effort we may lose them forever in our lifetime. This evening will feature a number of key players in this fight and discuss the diverse tactics required to break the chain of supply that starts with unnecessary slaughter.

I took this photo in the west of Mongolia while filming for a series called 'Beast Legends'. We had travelled out to this amazing country in December when the temperatures were hovering around the -20 degrees centigrade mark. The ground was like iron and the wind cut through you like a icy knife. I love wild open places and this was definitely wild and so open you really got a sense of just how small you were. I 'd love to go back in the Summer and see just how different it looks.

Well, another another year starts with the same resolution to update my website more frequently. Last couple of years have been busy - passed my BSAVA Certificate in Small Animal Internal Medicine with a distinction so very happy with that. Working as a vet, even 21 years in, is still my primary passion. I am very lucky to work in a fantastic team, in a wonderful practice.
However, few other things going on as well. I'm pencilled in to appear on 'Celebrity Pointless' as a pointless celebrity, and still doing a number of talks / appearances.

I will be appearing at the Caravan & Motorhome Show at Manchester's EventCity talking about my travel experiences - I do own a camper van so will take a sniff around I think.
See https://www.caravanshows.com/celebrity-speaker/steve-leonard-wildlife-tv-presenter-and-veterinary-surgeon for more information.

I am also going to try and post a calendar picture at the start of each month as I did a couple of years ago as someone so nicely asked me to do so again on Twitter. 

While filming "The Hottest Place on Earth" for the BBC in Ethiopia's Danakil Depression, we had to walk 25km in blazing heat. We had to stop and drink constantly and every so often a caravan of camels or donkeys would pass us by. They have a pretty hard life out there as beasts of burden but they were fit, had good feet and were not fat. This is quite the opposite of a lot of donkeys my wife sees as an equine vet driving around. Lush green grass and soggy soil did not feature often in the evolution of the donkey!

I have a couple of public talks coming up if your free...

"We're going to need a bigger glove! - Veterinary Tales from the Wild"
Beyond: 17th September 2016 - The Steppes Travel Festival
The ​Royal Geographical Society, London
http://www.steppestravel.co.uk/about/beyond-steppes-travel-festival/

So many people who watched the 'Panda Babies' program that recently went out on ITV have asked me about the sick panda who I helped examine during the program.
This bear had wandered into a village on the edge of the national park where she would have lived. She was obviously in a bad way. The bears are quite shy normally so it's a worrying sign when they stumble into human areas like this.
She was picked up by the authorities and brought to the rescue centre to be cared for. She had been in the care of the medical team for a month by the time I came to visit the centre. The veterinary team had examined her when she came in and were very concerned about the condition she was in. She was due another thorough check up and I was invited to be be involved which was a great honour for me.
I have been very fortunate to deal with many different species over the 20 years I have been a veterinary surgeon and it has been hammered into me, time and time again, just how important a physical exam is, during any investigation. Once asleep, I soon realised this bear was in serious trouble. She was skin and bone - this was so hard to get across purely visually. She had so little reserves left to keep her ailing body going. Her belly was fully of fluid which is a very bad sign indeed. I knew at this point that this bear was not long for this world. She was a very old bear (her worn down teeth were testimony to her age) whose body was finally succumbing to a hard life in the wild. Eyes, teeth, liver and other organs all were starting to fail. We we never told what happened to this bear (I was just a visitor after all), it's not nice to see but I'm afraid it is what will happen to all living creatures at some point if they are lucky enough to live a long life.
I am very touched by just how much concern people had for this poor creature who they only got a brief glimpse of. I can only assure you that she was getting excellent care from all that I could see.

This painted dog needs your help. Look at its neck and you'll see the raw wound inflicted by an illegal snare that is still embedded in its flesh.
​This is one of the lucky ones. It has survived and has been found. A short sedation by dart is enough time to get in and remove the wire, clean the wounds and give appropriate medication: pain relief & antibiotics. But all this costs money. You can supply just a small amount of that money.
​We are trying to raise funds to get much needed medical supplies out to Painted Dog Conservation in Zimbabwe who are doing amazing work with the dogs, and the local communities that live alongside them.
​If you live local to our practices in Whitchurch or Wistaston, you can pop in and give us a donation. If not you can check out the PDC website and donate online. Even a couple of quid will make a big difference.
​Cheers
Steve

http://www.painteddog.co.uk/how-to-help-pdcuk.asp

I'm the 'supply teacher' of this years festival - stepping in to take the place of a couple of other speakers who've had to drop out. I attended last year and it was awesome. So many fantastic speakers, topics and demonstrations. It's great to be revisiting the Orangutans as a topic as I have so many fantastic stills of my little orange friends. I'm also part of a team talking about 'Cool Animals' such as Albatross, Polar bears and other chilly creatures!

To find out more about the event check out the website HERE

Spring is around the corner and soon the grass, spring bulbs and other eager plants will burst upwards grabbing that all important sunlight. So this is the time to get out and harvest the perennial bounty of litter!
Every year our vet practice gets involved in a litter picking session or two around the town of Whitchurch. This is the time to do it, while the offending material is visible amongst the suppressed winter vegetation. Litter annoys the vast majority of us and it's hard to get into the mindset of someone who is perfectly happy to discard their trash along some beautiful byways and paths in their own town. Rather than just get annoyed about it, good people have decided to do something about it. It's incredible at how much can be achieved by small team of well organised volunteers. There's a great sense of achievement and it turns into a nice social outing. If your local to Whitchurch why not come and join us - if not check out your local town / village's website to see if they are getting involved (if not organise a litter pick yourself - contact your local council who generally will supply equipment).

Meet: Saturday 21st March, 9.45am in Civic Centre Market Hall

http://whitchurch.info/2015/02/whitchurch-joins-the-national-community-clear-up-day/