Brevard Zoo using new CT scanner to test, research animal sickness on site

MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Brevard Zoo is taking animal care to new heights, using technology few zoos in North America have on site.   

Thanks to a donor, the zoo just installed a high-tech scanner to not only see more, but learn more about what’s making animals sick in the first place. 

FOX 35 saw the zoo’s new CT scanner in action, helping a turtle named Crouton. He’s a green sea turtle found on the Space Coast who is very, very sick.

"This turtle is affected by a disease called fibropapillomatosis," said Trevor Zachariah, the Director of Veterinary Programs at the zoo. 

The disease manifests itself as tumors, and Crouton is covered with them, which can severely impact his ability to survive.   

"It can cause immune suppression so they’re at risk for more infections and other things, so it really debilitates them," said Zachariah.

Leading the zoo's veterinary program, Zachariah's been working for years to get the machine on site. He says the new CT scanner is helping his team really understand what Crouton is dealing with. 

"The CT is going to be fantastic for that because we can see all the external tumors, but the internal ones is where the CT will help us visualize," he said. 

The table animals sit on can hold up to 650 pounds and run a full scan on any part of an animal in five minutes or less. 

"It cuts out a lot of problems with taking our animals off grounds," Zachariah said, adding that moving animals off ground for testing adds stress to the sick animals and is a challenge for zoo staff. 

One of the big benefits to having this technology at the zoo has to do with location. The Sea Turtle Healing Center is near the new scanner. Turtles, like Crouton, only have to travel a few feet to get care, but staff says even more animals will benefit from the machine. 

"We’re going to use it on everything and anything," Zachariah said.

So far, a stingray and even a gecko has gone through the scanner. The zoo also plans to use the new technology on Brody the black bear to see how his pelvis and hind limbs are doing after he had surgery a few years ago.  

"It’s going to allow us to also do research to study these animals better so that we can try and learn more," Zachariah said.

It cost around $300,000 for the new machine but for the zoo, it’s priceless to see sick animals nursed back to health.