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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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Veterinary Ownership Beyond 2025: An opinion piece (#281)
Will 2025 be the start of a new era for independent veterinary practices? For the past decade, the veterinary profession has witnessed...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 21, 20252 min read
Veterinary Education at a Crossroads in 2025: An opinion piece (#280)
Will multiple veterinary schools face serious accreditation challenges in 2025 as the rush to expand veterinary education collides with...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 20, 20253 min read
The Corporate Church: How the Mormon church is buying up Australian farmland (#279)
In recent years, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) , commonly known as the Mormon Church , has made...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 19, 20254 min read
Is 2025 the year of the Veterinary Corporate Crisis? An opinion piece (#278)
Is the corporate veterinary sector on the brink of a major reckoning? For years, corporate veterinary groups have expanded...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 19, 20253 min read
Nikola Tesla’s Pigeon: Love, loneliness, and a global vision (#277)
Nikola Tesla , the brilliant inventor whose name is synonymous with electricity and wireless technology, was a man of boundless intellect...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 17, 20253 min read
More Than a Story: Branding in children's picture books (#276)
Admiral William H. McRaven, renowned for his distinguished 37-year career as a U.S. Navy SEAL and leadership roles, including overseeing...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 16, 20253 min read
Veterinary Business Practices: Lessons from the Boxer Rebellion (#274)
You have to know the past to understand the present Carl Sagan The Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901) was more than just an anti-foreign...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 14, 20255 min read
The First “Cat” Scan: A milestone in veterinary medicine (#273)
Cat positioned for the first CAT Scan of a Cat The introduction of computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanning, later called computed...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 13, 20254 min read
Whiskers and Worship: The Enigmatic Cats of Gokogu Shrine (#272)
Nestled in the coastal town of Ushimado, Japan, the Gokogu Shrine stands as a testament to harmonious coexistence between humans and a...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 12, 20253 min read
From Predator to Purse: The truth behind crocodile leather (#271)
Crocodiles have roamed the Earth for over 200 million years, outliving the dinosaurs and surviving mass extinctions. As apex predators,...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 12, 20255 min read
Feline Silk Road: How cats arrived in China over 1,400 years ago (#270)
The Silk Road was more than just a network of trade routes. It was a lifeline of cultural exchange, carrying goods, ideas, and even...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 12, 20254 min read
The Mammouse and Genetic Science: From fairytale to lab (#269)
Nature is full of surprises, but sometimes, the most intriguing creatures are the ones that exist only in our imagination. Enter the...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 11, 20253 min read
Biomimicry in Motion: The kingfisher that transformed high-speed rail (#268)
Japan’s Shinkansen , or bullet trains, are an engineering marvel, reaching speeds of over 320 km/h (200 mph) while gliding almost...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 11, 20252 min read
The Nostalgia Effect: How memories shape our well-being (#267)
There’s something about nostalgia that tugs at the heartstrings. A bittersweet feeling that blends joy with longing, and warmth with...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 9, 20253 min read
International Women’s Day: Exploring inclusivity (#266)
For years, I have celebrated International Women’s Day (IWD), honoring the achievements of women in veterinary medicine and beyond. But...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 9, 20253 min read
Forward Bound: Australia's Coat of Arms (#265)
Did you know that the Australian coat of arms holds a hidden message of progress? The design features two iconic native animals - the...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 6, 20252 min read
Hierarchy of Life: How humans rank the natural world (#264)
Anthropocentrism and speciesism are closely related but distinct concepts. Both involve human attitudes toward other species, but they...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 5, 20253 min read
Failing Forward: A lesson, not a verdict (#263)
Failure is a universal experience, yet it remains one of the most feared aspects of life. We are conditioned to avoid it, to view it as...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 4, 20253 min read
Building America: The immigrant influence (#262)
The United States has long been a nation built by immigrants. Many who arrived on its shores seeking a better life went on to make...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 28, 20253 min read
Dual Citizen, One Heart: My story as a proud immigrant (#261)
An immigrant to the United States is an individual who relocates from another country with the intention of residing permanently. Until...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 28, 20253 min read
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