Layla was the first of her species to be examined using a CT scanner.
Layla the rhino made history when she became the first of her species to undergo a CT scan at an Illinois zoo.
Weighing 2,300 pounds, the 7-year-old Eastern black rhino at the Brookfield Zoo was far too large to be brought into the in-house animal hospital.
But veterinarians had to come up with a way to take a closer look when they suspected Layla was having issues with her nasal cavity.
Luckily, the zoo was given a portable CT scan machine to bring straight to Layla’s habitat.
After several test runs using more than 2,000 pounds of concrete in the place of their subject, dozens of veterinarians, zookeepers and staff members successfully performed the CT scan on Layla.
Images later revealed abnormal tissue near an upper molar, and veterinarians are now working on a plan for surgery to address the blockage.
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