May 27, 2020

The Amazing Life of Moscow's Gator


The Amazing Life of Moscow's Gator

It's not entirely certain how old the Moscow Zoo's alligator Saturn was when he died this weekend, but he was clearly a survivor. Initially born wild in the Mississippi, Saturn was sent to the Berlin Zoo in 1936. Reports differ on whether he was just a baby or already an adult when he was transported to Germany, but Saturn's youngest age at time of death was 84.

The reptile from the American South was in the zoo during World War II and, through some miracle, survived the destruction. According to the Moscow Zoo, Saturn survived the Allied bombing campaign in November 1943, when the Berlin Zoo was destroyed and 20 to 30 alligators were killed. Saturn however not only survived, his whereabouts for the next three years are a mystery. 

Saturn in the Moscow Zoo
Saturn in the Moscow Zoo

"One version of events is that Saturn survived three winters on the streets of the Third Reich's capital," the Moscow Zoo said. Though alligators can go into hibernation in cold weather, the idea that Saturn floated in the Spree River as the Soviet army took the city seems farfetched. 

A retired archivist of the Berlin zoo said it was possible that Saturn was kept in an apartment for part of this missing time: it was not unheard of to keep exotic animals back then, and at his age at the time, he would have been much smaller than the three-and-a-half meters he reached toward the end of his life.

 

"Recollections of Saturn"

Whatever transpired, it was British soldiers who captured the alligator somewhere in the British Zone of occupation after the end of the war, and in 1946 they handed him over to the Soviets. Initially, when he began his long life in Moscow, he was nicknamed "Hitler." It was only later that the Moscow Zoo named him Saturn. Unfortunately, documentation about Saturn's precise history was lost in a fire in the 1950s.

The Moscow Zoo eventually received a female alligator as a potential mate for Saturn. Shipka was younger, but unfortunately died when laying her eggs, and Saturn was so desolate he refused food for a time. In 1993 during the putsch, when tanks passed close by the Zoo on the Garden Ring, Saturn was reportedly so distressed he cried out. His keepers assumed he thought his home was getting bombed again.

Saturn was said to enjoy being massaged by his keepers with a brush, and apparently had a fairly  peaceful demeanor, even though sometimes he gnawed on concrete structures when provoked by males in his vicinity. He suffered from rumors of being Hitler's personal pet, with some visitors hurling objects at him. The zoo eventually had to erect a thick wall around his enclosure to protect him. 

The majestic creature from segregated American South witnessed many of the most momentous events in the twentieth century history: from the rise and fall of Hitler to the end of the Soviet Union. The stories he could tell!

The zoo said Saturn will be commemorated in Moscow's Darwin Museum of Natural History.

You Might Also Like

Moscow's Zoo
  • September 01, 2014

Moscow's Zoo

One hundred and fifty years ago, Moscow‘s zoo opened just outside the city‘s Garden Ring. Ever since, the 53-acre institution has been deeply embedded in the city‘s life.
A True Crocodile
  • May 24, 2020

A True Crocodile

This wonderful short animated film about a crocodile is our video of the week.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955