NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The Virginia Zoo in Norfolk is home to animals who each have special needs to keep them thriving. Whether they swim, fly, crawl, or in Trey, the two-toed sloth’s case, move as slow as molasses, the care team is always ready with what they need, and head veterinarian Mary Ceccolini leads the charge.

“Trey, you could do the exam with her awake,” Ceccolini said. “But some of our more larger or more dangerous animals, you really need to anesthetize them before you can even examine them.”

Ceccolini has made it her life’s mission to help animals, but she can only do so much without the right equipment.

“If you’re not up to date with everything that’s being published, you’re going to be potentially falling short of what you can provide for the animals in your care,” Ceccolini said.

There’s a growing list of necessary upgrades to their machines so she’s praying you’ll consider donating towards.

“It’s easy to miss small lesions,” Ceccolini said. “A lot of these animals are not designed for ultrasound. … For animals with hair, it really makes it challenging to see the image, so having an outdated machine makes it that much more challenging.”

The lack of proper working tools can mean the animals recover at a snail’s pace, which highlights their next need — a flexible scope.

“We did have two birds that had swallowed metal,” Ceccolini said. “And a flexible scope is what you would use to pass it through their beak and into their oral cavity and down into their stomachs. And you’ll retrieve it with a scope.”

Some devices they couldn’t wait to get, like an incubator, which they hope donations will reimburse.

“If the fluids are cold, it can drop their body temperature,” Ceccolini said. “So with the incubator, it provides warm fluids. That helps keep them a little healthier and more stable under anesthesia.”

The team at the zoo will continue to provide the best care they can, and Trey will keep hanging out, hoping you’ll move faster than her when it comes to donating. 

If you’re interested in donating, click this link.