Zoo shares x-ray images of rattlesnakes, penguins and turtles

By Athena Stavrou via SWNS

A zoo has shared incredible X-ray images of its animals including rattlesnakes, penguins and turtles.

London Zoo’s veterinary team has shared a new series of X-rays - taken while caring for the conservation zoo’s 14,000 animals.

The striking images show the variety of work and endangered animals zookeepers have undertaken over the past decade.

X-ray of a critically endangered Mountain chicken frog. (London Zoo via SWNS)

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From caring for critically endangered big-headed turtles and mountain chicken frogs to pygmy slow loris and Humboldt penguin chicks, the images reveal how their patients range far beyond the usual cats and dogs.

Sophie Sparrow, Senior Veterinary Nurse at London Zoo, said “X-rays are a vital part of the care we provide our animals at London Zoo – helping us to diagnose or pre-empt any issues they may face, so we can ensure everyone remains in tip-top condition.

“Many of the species in our care are threatened in the wild and are part of important global breeding programs. This means we have far less medical information about them in existence than we do for domestic animals, so we share vital information from x-rays such as these with vets and conservationists around the world, helping to improve animal and veterinary care globally.”

Since the veterinary on-site clinic officially opened in 1955, the team has worked with zookeepers to carry out regular health checks on all of London Zoo's animals - helping to protect almost 400 species, from critically endangered Western lowland gorillas, to Sumatran tigers.

Sophie explained: "A trip to the vet is a little more complicated for a lion than it is for a housecat, so we work with zookeepers to make any treatment needed as simple as possible for the animals – for example, keepers build training for healthcare into the animals’ daily routines.

“So when they need to have simple procedures, such as a blood test, animals like Bhanu, our Asiatic lion, are happy to simply offer up their tail for a blood draw, instead of having a general anesthetic.”

The fascinating images have been shared ahead of the conservation zoo’s award-winning Vets in Action event (February 11- 19), where kids can join the vet team at London Zoo for a packed week of immersive family activities celebrating their incredible work.

Sophie added: “A lot of our team’s work takes place behind the scenes, so we’re excited to be able to share our work and inspire the next generation of vets and vet nurses with our half-term event, Vets in Action – where families can enjoy a great day out and kids can practice important veterinary skills with the help of a few soft toy friends.”