His name is Muja, he has only three legs
and lives in the Belgrade Zoo.
At
86 years of age, she is the
longest-lived
American alligator (a species of crocodile) in captivity in the world
and his
good health
augurs more years to live, his caregivers say.
Life in its small pool, a balanced diet, care by staff and respectful attention from visitors to this pet seem to have a salutary effect on this reptile, which arrived in Serbia in the mid-1930s
.
The death of a contemporary of his at the Moscow Zoo last spring has left Muja without his main rival for the longevity of an American alligator (alligator mississippiensis) in captivity.
The oldest crocodile in the world: he is 84 years old and was saved from the Nazi bombings (EFE).
IN BELGRADE SINCE 1936
"Muja came to the Belgrade Zoo in 1936, the year it was founded. Then he was no longer a baby, but rather
a boy
," says zoo veterinarian Jozef Ezvedj.
"This is a real
'methuselah'
, at 86, 87 years old," he proudly adds in statements at the Belgrade zoo, recalling that these animals usually do not even reach 50 years of
age.
Muja's precise age is unknown because documentation of his transfer to Serbia was lost in the
Nazi bombings of Belgrade
during World War II, when the zoo was badly damaged and numerous animals were killed.
The then young crocodile was among the
few survivors
.
Now he is the oldest animal in the Belgrade zoo.
It has only three legs and lives in the Belgrade Zoo (EFE).
GOOD HEALTH
According to the vet, Muja is a healthy, physically fit,
active and mobile
male alligator for his age.
Eight years ago
, his life was in danger due to gangrene in one leg caused by an inflammatory process, for which he underwent surgery.
A team of veterinarians and orthopedic surgeons from the Belgrade Clinical Center participated in the intervention, in which the animal
was left without a leg
, a misfortune with which, according to Ezvedj, he reconciled "without problems".
It weighs 100 kilos, is 3.5 meters long and eats every two weeks (EFE).
With great skill and speed, the reptile of about
100 kilos and 3.5 meters in length
catches its prey at mealtime.
"He feeds
once every two weeks
. He eats small rodents, quails, horse meat, fish, beef. The amount is
two to three kilos,
since he is old and doesn't move as much," explains the vet.
THE ENVIRONMENT
Muja's artificial habitat does not closely resemble its natural environment in the southeastern United States where its relatives live, in rivers and lakes among aquatic plants and silt.
"He feeds once every two weeks. He eats small rodents, quail, horse meat, fish, beef. The amount is two to three kilos, since he is old and doesn't move so much," explains the veterinarian (EFE).
From his pool, about
eight meters long and five meters wide
, which is cleaned regularly, Muja can look out through the trees at the buildings in the center of the capital and the popular Belgrade Fortress and the Kalemegdan park, which houses the zoo.
In winter, when temperatures drop in this region of the Balkans, Muja is transferred to a closed
and somewhat smaller
pool , with
hot water , and where, in the absence of natural sun
, UV lamps
have been installed .
LONGEVITY
In the Belgrade Zoo, Muja is the main attraction,
a true legend
, that all visitors want to see.
"People know her age and respect it. Everyone, us and them, we want Muja to live many more years," says Ezvedj.
The animal recently underwent a full clinical examination and the results left the veterinarians very satisfied (EFE).
"His longevity is possibly due to several factors. I'm sure his genetics have an impact. The care he receives and his diet cannot be ignored either. In addition, he has veterinary and medical protection," says Ezvedj.
The animal recently underwent a full clinical examination and the results left the veterinarians
very satisfied.
"We believe that Muja can comfortably live for several more years," concludes the veterinarian and main keeper of the world's oldest alligator.
EFE Agency.
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