Sleepy sloth among animals scanned at a Norfolk zoo

A sloth lies on a puppy pad on its back. It's arms are by its head. Its mouth is open and its eyes are closed with a pink tongue lolling to the side — Image caption,
The animals were safely made sleepy with sedation before going into the CT scanner

21 April 2026

A tiger, a vulture and a sloth were among animals at a Norfolk zoo getting pictures taken of their insides.

Banham Zoo used a CT scanner for the first time to give vets a clearer picture of their residents' health.

You might have had a CT scan in the hospital before, they don't hurt and they're a bit like an X-ray but can see the body in much greater detail.

Zoo director Ross Snipp said: "Not everyone gets a chance to do this. We are really fortunate. Anything we learn today we will share with our animal and veterinary colleagues around the world."

You can take a look at some of the animals that were scanned below!

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Image source, Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Image caption,
The tiger who came to CT...
Vets were looking for any bone and spinal changes in Mishka the Amur tiger.
Dr Elliott Simpson-Brown, a zoo vet with the International Zoo Veterinary Group, said the keeps are "looking after her really well".
He added that by working with animals in captivity it can help to provide treatments for big cats in the wild.
Image source, Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Image caption,
Here you can see the scan of one of the penguins - Bob, the one-eyed African black-footed penguin
Dr Simpson-Brown said being able to bring the CT scanner to the zoo meant the checks could be carried out in a safe and controlled environment.
Image source, Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Image caption,
Foster, a Rüppell's griffon vulture, was checked for any arthritis symptoms
The scans were carried out with radiographers. They said exotic animals only make up about 3% of the animals they scan and 90% of the scans are of dogs.
Image source, Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Image caption,
Keepers at the zoo had been a bit worried about Arlo the sloth who has been more sleepy and slow (lethargic) than usual. Sloths are usually pretty sleepy and slow so it can be hard to tell if it's because of a medical problem.
Dr Simpson-Brown said: "Looking at a sloth and trying to determine if they are lethargic or not cannot be the easiest.
"Luckily the keepers are noticing the subtle changes in an animal."
Image source, Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Image caption,
Grub the meerkat behaved very well for their scan.
The results will be looked at by veterinary specialists.
Image source, Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Image caption,
This cheetah was also among the big cats scanned.
Using the CT scanner means vets can rule out any underlying health issues quickly and without distressing the animals.
Image source, Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Image caption,
The mask over this meerkat's face helps it to breathe in plenty of oxygen while it's sedated.
Ross Snipp, the zoo director, said they were excited to be using specialist equipment to check so many animals in one day.
"I have been doing this for a very long time, but these days don't come round a lot. It is a real privilege for me, as it is for the rest of the team," he said.
"What we really hope is to add to that pool of knowledge for each individual species."

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