A komodo dragon at the Singapore Zoo found itself in an unexpected situation after undergoing an emergency when it swallowed two plush toys.
In a video shared on Mandai Wildlife Reserve’s Instagram page on Monday (March 2), deputy vice president of veterinary healthcare and scientific programme, Dr Heng Yirui explained how the toys ended up in the animal’s den.
Describing it as a “peculiar case”, Dr Heng said he was first alerted by zoo keepers who reported that macaques in the area had become curious about a sealed bag.
“The bag did not contain valuables, but there were a few stuffed toys in it, and the mischievous macaques thought it would be funny to take (the) toys and hurl them around,” said Dr Heng.
He added that at the time, a male komodo dragon named Mario became intrigued by the commotion.
“Komodo dragons are ambush hunters, and the fact that there were a lots of activity and movement in the den piqued his interest and he instinctively went for these toys,” said Dr Heng.
While he noted that these animals typically regurgitate or vomit items they are unable to digest, there was unfortunately no such response even a day after Mario swallowed the plush toys.
Concerned that the toys might pass into the intestinal tract and potentially cause a life-threatening obstruction, Dr Heng said the veterinary team decided to insert a gastroscope into his stomach in an attempt to retrieve them during a medical procedure.
