The release rate of rescued Tsushima leopard cats was determined based on the rescue records of the Tsushima Wildlife Conservation Center from 2010 to 2023 (n=84), and the survival rate after release was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method (n=32). The leopard cat was most frequently rescued from box trapping mainly for small animals (44% of the total), followed by leg snare trapping (12%) and traffic accidents (7%), and the release rates were 92%, 60%, and 67%, respectively. The overall release rate was 79%, and the survival rates after 1 and 3 years of release were 92% and 75%, respectively. The median survival time after release was 4.4 years. The high proportion of rescues from box traps, which often involve intact or minor injuries, contributed to the high release rate and post-release survival rates. The high survival rate in the first few years after release may provide breeding opportunities for the leopard cat after release. Since no statistically significant differences were observed for the seasons of release (winter vs. other seasons) and the rehabilitation lengths, the negative effects of these on the survival of the leopard cat after release were considered to be small.

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　Anesthesia is used not only to immobilize fish but also to prevent them from experiencing unnecessary pain or distress. Anesthesia is widely used in fish research in Japan, but little information is available on its actual use. This study aimed to investigate the use of anesthesia in Japanese fish research through a literature review, and to examine the relationship between journal classifications and actual usage patterns from an animal welfare perspective. The literature review covered domestic research using anesthesia on fish from 2019 to 2024, and recorded information on anesthesia methods and post-anesthesia procedures. The results showed that the most frequently used anesthetic was eugenol. This is likely because eugenol was the only anesthetic legally approved for use in research involving fish for consumption at the time. However, when looking at literature published in overseas academic journals, 2-phenoxyethanol was the most commonly used anesthetic. These studies tended to focus on fish not for consumption, and the use of 2-phenoxyethanol, which has a rapid introduction and recovery of anesthesia, may have been preferred. On the other hand, Japanese literature tended to contain invasive procedures such as dissection using anesthetic methods with inadequate pain management. This is thought to be partly due to the tendency to include few animal welfare-related descriptions in academic journal guidelines in Japan. Overall, this review found that researchers tend to use anesthesia not to improve the welfare of the fish, but to comply with regulations or journal guidelines.

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　Husbandry training was introduced to captive Aye-ayes (Daubentonia madagascariensis), and as a result, blood sampling from the lateral saphenous vein was successfully performed using behavioral restraint. Counterconditioning and desensitization were used to stimulate the blood collection site, resulting in the success of blood collection on three individuals until today. By incorporating husbandry training, blood collection can be performed without capturing or anesthetizing the animals. As it was implemented using positive reinforcements, it is also considered desirable from the animal welfare perspective.

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　We gradually introduced custom-fitted leather and neoprene orthoses to aged goats and sheep with age-related carpal and tarsal joint deformities. Refinement of the molding technique reduced the restraint time and significantly enhanced acceptance of the orthoses, resulting in improvements in gait stability, standing maintenance ability, and daily activity. This case series suggests that orthotic management is an effective therapeutic strategy for maintaining the quality of life (QOL) and improving the welfare of aged ruminants.

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　The accreditation for veterinary nurses for companion animals (VNCA) has been established in Japan. However, veterinary care is not only for companion animals, but also for other animals. Therefore, VNCA's knowledges and skills may be applicable to others. In this study, we investigated the similarities and differences in the roles and veterinary care-related duties performed by VNCA working with animals kept for different purposes. The subjects comprised one VNCA each from a companion animal clinic, working at an aquarium, and working at a research facility primarily housing primates as laboratory animal. Three days of behavioural observation were conducted. Also, we interviewed to confirm the job duties which we could not observed during the behavioural observation. Job duties were categorised using the American Veterinary Medical Association's skills list for veterinary technology students and VNCA curriculum in Japan. The classification comprised 11 major categories, including not only nursing, surgical nursing, laboratory work, as well as related to animal welfare, such as promoting appropriate husbandry and understanding about animals which they care. The behavioural observation revealed that all VNCA performed similar job duties across most categories. Differences were observed in restraint techniques, hospital admission procedures, and specific public health measures such as quarantine protocols during animal introductions. These variations were considered attributable to differences in the animal species which they handled. These results suggest that possessing the knowledge and skills of veterinary nurses for companion animals enables them to function effectively in other animals.

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