London Zoo’s veterinary team have dug into their archives to share a new series of amazing X-rays taken while caring for the conservation zoo’s 14,000 animals.
The stunning images, shared ahead of the zoo’s biannual visitor event, Vets in Action (Saturday 11 – Sunday 19 February), show the sheer variety of work the team of experts has accomplished over the past decade; From caring for endangered big-headed turtles and grouse frogs to little slow lorises and Humboldt penguin chicks, the images show how their patients go far beyond the usual cats and dogs.
Sophie Sparrow, Senior Veterinary Nurse at London Zoo, said: “X-rays are an essential part of the care we provide to our animals at London Zoo – they help us diagnose or prevent any problems they may be facing so we make sure can ensure that all remain in tip-top condition.
“Many of the species in our care are endangered in the wild and part of important global breeding programs. This means we have far less medical information about them than we do about pets, so we’re sharing vital information from x-rays like this with veterinarians and conservationists around the world, helping to improve animal and veterinary care worldwide.”
London Zoo’s pioneering veterinary team has been an integral part of the legendary zoo’s science-led conservation work since the clinic officially opened on-site in 1955. The team works with zookeepers to conduct regular health checks on all of London Zoo’s animals, helping to protect nearly 400 species, from endangered western lowland gorillas to Sumatran tigers.
“A visit to the vet is a bit more complicated for a lion than for a house cat, so we work with zookeepers to make the necessary treatments as easy as possible for the animals – for example, zookeepers build health care training into the animals’ daily Routines,” Sophie explained.
“So when they need simple procedures like a blood test, animals like Bhanu, our Asiatic lion, are more than happy to simply offer their tail for a blood draw, rather than being given general anesthesia.”
The captivating images were shared ahead of the Conservation Zoo’s award-winning Vets in Action event (Saturday 11 – Sunday 19 February), where children can join London Zoo’s veterinary team for a packed week of immersive family activities to celebrate their incredible celebrate work.
“Much of our team’s work takes place behind the scenes, so we’re excited to share our work and inspire the next generation of veterinarians and veterinary paramedics with our biannual Vets in Action event where families can have a great time Tag and kids can practice important veterinary skills with the help of a few stuffed animal friends.”
Vets in Action at London Zoo is free with Zoo admission this February half term – visit www.londonzoo.org to book tickets. The Conservation Zoo is also offering £3 tickets for reduced-income families until March – see www.zsl.org/CAS to check eligibility and for more details.
PICTURES TO DOWNLOAD HERE:
https://zslondon.sharefile.com/d-s690c6e1f645a42eb997f41d9d44d2cae
