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Have you ever wondered what a tiger would look like under an X-ray? What about a turtle, a sun bear, or a snake?
A wildlife hospital in Thailand has showcased these unique perspectives and more in a series of striking animal X-ray images taken over the past several years at its surgery.
The photos were shared by the on-site Wildlife Hospital at Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) to raise awareness about local wildlife and to showcase examples of human-animal conflict that have been brought into the facility.
"The task for a wildlife veterinarian is to learn the unique medical protocols that each species requires," a spokesperson for the WFFT told Newsweek. "Treatment is as varied as the wildlife."
The spokesperson said that, if the animal is likely to be stressed or it would dangerous to for them go into the machine, they will be sedated while the procedure takes place. "For example, the X-ray of Mukda the tiger shows her with an endotracheal tube in her mouth, to help her breathe while under the anesthetic," they said.
Mukda was rescued from Phuket Zoo along with 10 other tigers in 2022. According to the WFFT, arriving at the sanctuary was the first time she had been outside in a near-natural habitat. The 20-year-old tiger received an X-ray to help diagnose a breathing problem that was causing a rasp in her growl.
Nearly a year on, Mukda's health has "significantly improved" and she is much less aggressive than she was when she first arrived at the center.
Another image in the series shows the leg of a sambar deer, named Sandee, with several bullet fragments inside that had shattered the deer's bone. Sambar deer are vulnerable to extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, but Sandee managed to escape poachers despite being shot several times.
Other X-rayed animals in the series include an endangered crab-eating macaque called Baby Luang, an endangered Bengal slow loris called Tufa, an endangered chimpanzee called Canoe, a kingfisher called Kim and a green iguana called Reya.
The WFFT Wildlife Hospital became the first wildlife hospital run by a non-government organization when it opened in 2005. Since, it has treated thousands of wild animals every year, with many being successfully rehabilitated and safely returned to the wild.
The X-ray machine has proven vital in the successful diagnosis of wildlife injuries, where fur or scales might cover up visible signs on the outside.
About the writer
Pandora Dewan is a Senior Science Reporter at Newsweek based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on science, health ... Read more