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

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
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. 
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
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.  
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

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