MELBOURNE, Fla. — A sea turtle has a chiropractor. Wait... what?
1. Meet Ceres: The Brevard Zoo is closed due to the coronavirus, but with 900 animals, you can bet the zoo keepers and animal experts are staffed.
But what about injured sea turtles — one, named Ceres, with a head injury?
"I mean, they are my kids," said Jess Patterson, the zoo's Sea Turtle Healing Center Coordinator.
Ceres' head injury is leading to lung problems.
"Then over time, that neck started to curve to the right and then the left side of her body started to get buoyant."
2. Chiropractor visits: Ceres is one of several turtles in specially-designed tanks backstage at the zoo. Patterson now has a chiropractor making visits every few weeks to monitor Ceres.
"We're hoping Ashley is going to be the fix all. But, I mean, you never know. It's a turtle,” Patterson said.
3. Healing: Dr. Ashley Mincey is a doctor of chiropractic.
"If there's a vertebrae locked in there, it can be interfering with the information that's coming down from her brain to her body or the information from her body to her brain," she said.
After some massaging utilization of her practice, she hopes Ceres’ brain will be able to heal her lungs a little bit better.
4. Ceres’ is a first: This is Dr. Mincey's very first turtle patient. She works with humans, dogs, cats, and horses.
5. The Brevard Zoo is closed until further, as is the Treetop Trek Aerial Adventure.