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Rick LeCouteur
Inviting young readers to marvel at the wonder of nature's creatures
Rick's Blog
#bunyipsbooksbeyond
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Growing Up Under the Stars: Trailblazer Edna Zigenbine (#301)
In the vast, untamed landscapes of Northern Australia, where the sky stretched endlessly and the land whispered stories of resilience, a...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 16, 20253 min read
Rethinking “Pet Parent”: Language, Expectations, and Animal Welfare (#300)
A fellow veterinarian recently asked me why I object to the term pet parent. It’s a fair question. After all, it’s everywhere: in...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 11, 20253 min read
Vet Med on the Brink: Lessons from Wall Street. (#299)
What does Sydney’s Northern Beaches Hospital teach us about veterinary corporatization? In recent years, Sydney’s Northern Beaches...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 10, 20254 min read
From Exam Room To Oval Office: The Cost of Putting Profit First (#298)
Have you noticed? There are some striking similarities between corporate greed in veterinary medicine and the ethos that characterizes...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 7, 20253 min read
Underwater Soap Opera: Kissing, cleaning, and changing sex (#297)
When we think of the Great Barrier Reef , our minds often drift to the kaleidoscope of corals, the graceful movements of sea turtles, or...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 5, 20253 min read
The Great Lakes: Cross-border stewardship for the sake of the planet (#296)
When we think of freshwater on a grand scale, The Great Lakes stand unrivaled in North America. Spanning two countries and housing...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 5, 20254 min read
The Dingo’s Dilemma: What it means to be native (#295)
Stretching nearly 3,500 miles across Australia’s arid interior, the Dingo Fence is the longest man-made barrier in the world. Built not...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 3, 20253 min read
Helium in Crisis: Science, sanctions, and scarcity (#294)
We all know helium as the gas that makes party balloons float and gives your voice that squeaky cartoon pitch when inhaled. But behind...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 2, 20255 min read
The Fear-Free Brain: Fearless climber & fear free vet care (#293)
Alex Honnold , the world’s greatest free solo climber, has a brain that defies conventional understanding of fear . His ability to scale...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 31, 20253 min read
Tales of Tails: What curliness reveals about life within (#292)
Ever walked down a dark alley in a big city at night and felt your body subtly shift? Your shoulders rise, your back stiffens, and your...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 31, 20254 min read
Social Prescribing in Vet Med: Expanding the clinical toolbox (#291)
In recent years, social prescribing has gained recognition as a powerful adjunct to traditional medical care in people. Rather than...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 30, 20253 min read
White Coat Worthy: When should veterinary students earn the symbol of the profession? (#290)
For veterinary students around the world, the white coat ceremony is a moment charged with symbolism, pride, and a deep sense of...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 30, 20254 min read
From Lectures to Likes: Veterinary education is evolving (#289)
Once upon a time, the only way to learn from a veterinarian was in person. In the lecture hall, in the lab, in a practice or on a rural...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 29, 20254 min read
(Un)Real Animals: Anthropomorphism and the science of early learning (#288)
We’ve all seen it: a storybook lion wearing spectacles and sipping tea, or a talking squirrel with a backpack heading to school. These...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 28, 20254 min read
Ink, Memory, and Madrid: A Mont Blanc pen and second chances (#287)
In October 2000, I had the pleasure of traveling to Madrid to deliver a series of eight lectures on neurology. The setting was...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 26, 20252 min read
Corporate Consolidation & The Opium Wars: Tales of power, profit, & consequence (#286)
I believe that the more you know about the past, the better you are prepared for the future Theodore Roosevelt History often repeats...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 25, 20254 min read
Australia’s Global Gift: The origin of songbirds and their sweet tooth (#285)
When you think of iconic Australian contributions to the world, a few things might spring to mind. Vegemite on toast. Marsupial-inspired...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 25, 20253 min read
Wi-Fi to Why Try? The rise and stall of Aussie science (#284)
It’s a classic pub-quiz trivia question: Who invented Wi-Fi? The answer, Australians love to say with pride, is: We did! Not so fast...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 25, 20253 min read
Old Tricks, New Suits: What 1970s hostile takeovers taught private equity firms (#283)
When I was a young man in Australia, my father worked for a pastoral company named Australian Mercantile Land & Finance Co. Ltd. (AML&F)....
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 24, 20253 min read
Private Equity Is Reshaping Veterinary Care: An opinion piece (#282)
Over the past decade, a quiet revolution has transformed the veterinary industry. Once dominated by independent, family-run practices,...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 22, 20253 min read
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