Popular uShaka Monitor Lizard dies
One of uShaka Marine World's reptiles, well-known for his love of eggs, dies from an age-related condition.
THE 22-year-old lizard, Murdoch, whose home was at the uShaka Marine World’s Dangerous Creatures Reptile House for 13 years, died this week from old age. Murdoch, a large, black-throated Monitor Lizard, beloved by all who knew him, had started showing signs of age-related issues, eg, slowed movements and no longer going out into the sun.
According to a Facebook post released by the South African Association of Marine and Biological Research (SAAMBR), Murdoch remained indoors most of the day and rarely showed interest in going outside. These changes were similar to those displayed by his brother, Raymond, when he reached his end-of-life stage two years ago.
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A senior herpetologist who was the principal caregiver of Murdoch, Lesley Labuschagne, described Murdoch as a gentle soul who calmly and gently helped people connect with reptiles in the most incredible way.
Labuschagne remembered how much Murdoch loved the sun and eggs.
“His love of eggs was such that it was even noticed by a local Tafta resident who visited him every single day for the past four years and, once a month, arrived with half a dozen eggs for him,” said Lesley.
The SAAMBR veterinary and herpetology teams performed an exploratory surgery to get a better understanding of his condition, where they discovered that his liver was compromised to an extent that it could not repair itself. A decision was then made to let Murdoch rest in peace.
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According to SAAMBR, for over 13 years, half a million visitors to uShaka Marine World have stood in awe of Murdoch’s gentle spirit as he went about his day in his home outside of Dangerous Creatures.
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