Antiopi the loggerhead turtle was rescued from the Greek coast in the '90s, after she was injured from a probable collision with a boat or an altercation with a fisherman, and moved to a rescue center in the UK.
Some 20 years later, Antiopi has undergone a computed tomography (CT) scan to understand the extent of her injuries and to give scientists an insight into turtle brain injuries. The CT scan uses both X-rays and computer imaging to create detailed cross-sectional images of the inside of the body.
The project is a collaboration between the Royal Veterinary College in London and the Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary in Yorkshire, where the turtle has been living since she was rescued. The scan took place in July, but the results have only just been analyzed and received by the marine life sanctuary.
“It confirmed that Antiopi suffered major damage to the hind part of her brain… The neurological tests also suggested a corresponding lack of sensation down the left-hand side of her body,” Lyndsey Crawford of the aquarium said in a statement.
Amazingly, the scan also revealed she was carrying eggs. However, since she hasn’t had a mate for years, the eggs will not be fertile.
"We drove her down and back again in a specially built transport box and she seemed pretty relaxed the whole time,” added Crawford.
"She's back in the ocean tank swimming around as if nothing has happened."
Antiopi's injury up close. Scarborough Sea Life and Marine Sanctuary
