Belgrade Zoo: World's oldest alligator in captivity 'Muja' celebrates 85th birthday

Muja, the world’s oldest alligator in captivity, recently celebrated his 85th birthday at the Belgrade Zoo. While the average lifespan of the prehistoric reptiles ranges from 30 to 50 years, Muja survived for eight and a half decades and is now a widely famed celebrity on the video-sharing platform TikTok. The veteran alligator is quite agile for his age, which as per experts is a sign of his good health.

Muja has survived three bombings 

According to a report by BBC, Muja was transported to Belgrade from Germany in 1937. His exact hatch date is unknown, however, old documents suggest that he was two years old at the time of his arrival. During the course of his life, the alligator witnessed three bombings including the 1941 and 1944 bombing of Serbia during World War II and a later 1999 bombing of the country by NATO. 

Recently, he celebrated his 85th birthday in the Belgrade Zoo. Speaking about the gator’s popularity on the internet, an official from the zoo told BBC that he has multiple videos on TikTok which have racked more than 1 lakh views. “People across the world love him,” he said. Speaking to AP previously, Muja's caretake Aleksandar Rakocevic had said, "Muja is a legend, and not only of our zoo, but he’s also a Belgrade legend !. Everybody knows Muja.” "He spends his days in a pond in the summer, while his winter chambers are currently under reconstruction to resemble a cave," he further described. 

Meanwhile, another, 7-foot long alligator shocked the internet after being spotted at a post office in Florida. The alligator was seen by a person who was on the way to mail a package at the Spring Hill post office. The picture of the crocodile was shared by Hernando County Sheriff's Office on Facebook. The post has gone viral on social media and netizens stunned at the whole situation took to the comments section to express their views.

Image: AP