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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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Dismantling Progress: Climate science under siege (#260)
The United States’ role in global climate leadership has oscillated dramatically in recent years, with each administration shaping policy...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 26, 20253 min read
Veterinarians, Pigeons, and Unsung Heroes: A personal reflection (#259)
I recently watched an episode of All Creatures Great and Small (Season 5 Episode 7), where Tristan was assigned a special wartime...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 25, 20253 min read
NIH Funding Freeze: A crisis for comparative oncology research (#258)
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) , the largest public funder of biomedical research globally, has been forced to halt the...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 25, 20253 min read
The Mars Family Empire: The secretive chocolate empire’s grip on veterinary care (#257)
Few family names are as synonymous with chocolate as Mars . From the iconic M&M’s , Snickers , and Twix to a diversified empire that...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 20, 20258 min read
The Thinking Clinician: Do AI scribes make us think less? (#256)
When AI Writes the Record: What Happens to Clinical Reasoning? Writing and composing patient notes by hand versus proofreading an...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 20, 20252 min read
Mars Veterinary Health’s Sustainability Pledge: Progress or PR spin?(#255)
Mars Incorporated is a global powerhouse in the pet care, confectionery, and food industries, owning brands like Pedigree, Royal Canin,...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 19, 20253 min read
If It Fits, I Sits: The mystery of cats and cardboard boxes (#254)
If you've ever left an empty cardboard box sitting around, chances are your cat has claimed it as their own. Whether it’s a shoebox, a...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 18, 20252 min read
Zwitterions in Action: The science behind hydromorphone’s potency (#253)
Zwitterions are unique molecules that possess both positive and negative charges simultaneously, yet remain overall neutral. This dual...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 18, 20253 min read
Humane World for Animals: A new era in global animal protection (#252)
In February 2025 , the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Humane Society International (HSI) unified under a new name:...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 16, 20252 min read
Expert Consensus: The collective voice of science (#251)
Science is a dynamic process of discovery, refinement, and understanding. At its core lies a unique strength: its reliance on evidence...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 15, 20253 min read
A Promise to Pay: A woman who wouldn’t accept charity (#250)
The first time I saw her, she was sitting at the traffic light near my neurosurgery practice in Sydney. A small figure wrapped in layers...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 13, 20252 min read
Veterinary AI Scribes (2of2): Thinking time matters (#249)
What happens when efficiency is prioritized over depth of thought? The push for higher throughput in veterinary clinics, driven by...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 9, 20252 min read
Veterinary AI Scribes (1of2): From paperwork to patient care (#248)
The veterinary profession is undergoing a digital transformation, with artificial intelligence (AI) playing an increasingly important...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 9, 20254 min read
Abbondanza: A word rich in meaning and history (#247)
If you’ve ever traveled through Italy or dined at an authentic Italian restaurant, you may have come across the word abbondanza . Rolling...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 9, 20252 min read
The Economics of Animal Health (1of4): Market growth, trends, and future outlook (#246)
The animal health industry is a dynamic and expanding sector, evolving rapidly to meet the demands of a changing world. With the guiding...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 6, 20253 min read
Déjà Vu: Unraveling the mystery (#245)
Have you ever walked into a room, met someone new, or experienced a moment so oddly familiar that you swear it’s happened before? It’s...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 5, 20253 min read
The Fifth Estate and Vet Med: A digital revolution (#244)
The Fifth Estate is a modern term that typically refers to independent and non-mainstream media, including bloggers, citizen...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 5, 20253 min read
Curiosity: The Key to the Future (#243)
Curiosity is the spark that ignites discovery. It is the restless whisper in our minds that asks: What if? Why? How? From childhood...
Rick LeCouteur
Feb 3, 20253 min read
Tardigrades: Nature’s indestructible wonders (#242)
The toughest creature on Earth is smaller than a grain of sand, thrives in the vacuum of space, and can cheat death for decades? Meet...
Rick LeCouteur
Jan 31, 20253 min read
The Flightless Cormorant: A symbol of resilience in peril (#241)
Will your grandchildren be able to see a flightless cormorant in the wild? The Galápagos Islands are a place of wonder, a natural...
Rick LeCouteur
Jan 27, 20253 min read
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