It was with heavy hearts that we stated goodbye to Hudo the 20-year-old Komodo dragon this weekend. Over the past week, his well being had been compromised by an irreversible, age-related spinal concern.
Hudo hatched on the Denver Zoo in January 2003. He moved to the Indianapolis Zoo in March 2009 earlier than coming to the Cincinnati Zoo six months later. In his 14 years right here, he grew to become a favourite of our visitors and our workers. Not like many Dragons that boring with age, Hudo remained superbly coloured. Cautious monitoring of his food regimen stored him lean and youthful wanting, whilst he aged.
Removed from the fearsome beasts of legend, Hudo’s temperament was extra akin to that of a Golden Retriever, and it was frequent for his keepers to explain him equally. “He’s a very good boy” they’d usually say. Hudo’s temperament endeared him to his keepers, creating the type of bonds that normally exist between mammals and their keepers.
They have been shut sufficient to note when Hudo’s imaginative and prescient worsened a couple of years in the past. They labored with the vet workers to prepare double cataract surgical procedure for him, which was successful and absolutely improved his high quality of life in his final years.
Hudo had one other declare to fame along with being the primary Komodo dragon on the earth to bear (double) cataract corrective surgical procedure. His grandfather, Naga, was given to former President George H.W. Bush in 1990 by President Suharto of Indonesia. In Indonesia, the Komodo dragon is taken into account a nationwide treasure, which made this an astonishing present. President Bush gave him to Cincinnati Zoo due to its success in mating many different endangered and uncommon species.
Naga was the most important Komodo dragon within the western hemisphere. At one level, he weighed about 260 kilos and reached over 9 toes. He handed away as a result of previous age. He was essentially the most profitable reproductive male Komodo dragon in Zoo historical past, siring as much as 55 hatchlings! Attributable to his fruitfulness, his spirit and offspring reside on at Zoos nationwide.
Guests will nonetheless be capable of see a Komodo dragon on the Cincinnati Zoo. A 1 ½-year-old male named Frunobulax arrived from the Bronx Zoo in Could and may be discovered within the Reptile Home. He weighs simply over a pound however will develop to be 100 kilos or extra.
He won’t take the place of Hudo in our hearts, however he’ll earn a spot of his personal.
