Cassius passed away last year due to blood poisoning, new examinations show.(Image credit: Marineland Melanesia)ShareShare by:
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A recent examination has indicated that Cassius, a reptile measuring 18-feet-long (5.5 meters) that resided in captivity and perished in Australia during the previous year at approximately 120 years old, ultimately died from septicemia.
A widespread infection stemming from an old injury that Cassius encountered in nature over 4 decades ago ruptured from a rigid enclosure and “engulfed” the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), causing its sudden demise, Sally Isberg, the CEO of the Crocodile Research Center situated in Darwin and the overseer of the examination, stated to ABC News.
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During a post-mortem analysis, scientists extracted a segment of contaminated material from Cassius the crocodile’s thoracic region. They attributed this to the croc’s cause of death.(Image credit: Brian Cassey)
Cassius possessed a fibrosis situated close to his left lung which burst open last November, just a few short months after Isberg executed a health examination and determined that the crocodile appeared “content and in good shape.” A mere 17 days preceding Cassius’s demise, Isberg visited him and observed no indications of sickness. There was previously no sign of an infection until the fibrosis gave way, since the encapsulation had maintained the infection neatly contained and isolated, Isberg detailed.
The source of the infection likely originated from when Cassius lost his front left limb during his youth, preceding his capture in the Northern Territory and subsequent relocation to captivity in 1984.
“What we were unaware of was that the rib enclosure had additionally experienced injury during the same incident,” Isberg remarked. “Upon autopsy, his left rib exhibited distension compared to his right one,” due to the presence of the fibrosis.
The fibrosis ultimately disintegrated due to Cassius’s advanced age, Isberg clarified. “This occurs due to the breakdown of cells, impeding their capability to regenerate,” she explained. “He [Cassius] could no longer sustain the protective fibrous layer enveloping the infection.”
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Post Cassius’s passing, Isberg took away one of his leg bones aiming to ascertain his age with greater precision. Personnel at Marineland Crocodile Park, Cassius’s residence for 40 years leading up to his decease, observed Cassius’s 120th commemoration in 2023 — although that age represented an upper estimate, considering that the crocodile ranged between 30 to 80 years upon initial capture.
Isberg anticipated the leg bone revealing development patterns, but the analyses yielded no conclusive findings, as temperatures maintained at Marineland Crocodile Park remain highly regulated, she stated. Growth rings evidenced on crocodile skeletal structures fluctuate based on metabolic changes, partially linked to temperature conditions.
Cassius has undergone the taxidermy process and has been sent back to the crocodile park to feature in a display slated to launch on Saturday (Dec. 12).
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Sascha PareSocial Links NavigationStaff writer
Sascha is a U.K.-based contributing writer working for Live Science. She gained a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Southampton located in England and a higher degree focused on science communication attained from Imperial College London. Her writing has been featured in The Guardian and also the health platform identified as Zoe. Besides her passion for writing, she takes pleasure in participating in tennis, baking breads and exploring second-hand boutiques in pursuit of concealed valuables.
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