Dangerous Creatures Reptile House at the uShaka Village Walk has been home to Murdoch, a large black-throated monitor since 2011.
At approximately 22 years old, it was not surprising when Murdoch started showing signs of age-related issues by slowing down his movements.
He remained indoors most of the day and seldom showed interest in venturing outside into the sun.
These changes in his behaviour were similar to those displayed by his brother Raymond when he was nearing his end-of-life stages two years ago.
The South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) Veterinary and Herpetology teams decided that it was time to perform exploratory surgery to get a better understanding of his condition.
During the exploration, it was discovered that his liver was compromised to the extent that it could not repair itself.
A decision was made to let Murdoch rest in peace.
Senior herpetologist, Lesley Labuschagne, who was his principal caregiver echoed the sentiments of her colleagues, tenants and visitors when she described Murdoch as a gentle soul who calmly and gently helped people connect with reptiles most incredibly. Murdoch’s two favourite things were eggs and the sun.
“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 Labuschagne.
Over the past 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 Dangerous Creatures.
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