Greensboro Science Center Mourns Loss of Komodo Dragon

The Greensboro Science Center (GSC) is mourning the loss of its beloved Komodo dragon, Drogo, who passed away overnight, April 6 – 7, 2022. Drogo was 9 years old.

Yesterday morning, animal care staff noticed Drogo was lethargic, positioning his body in an unusual manner and generally not acting like himself. As staff continued to monitor him, he regurgitated some food and opened his mouth as though trying to expel something, which led staff to believe there was a blockage somewhere in his digestive system. 

By early afternoon, Drogo was unresponsive to both audio and tactile stimulation. The animal care team went into the exhibit to anesthetize him and brought him to the GSC’s Shearer Animal Hospital. There, the vet team drew blood, took x-rays and performed an endoscopic examination of his upper gastrointestinal tract, which revealed no causative pathology. 

Drogo woke up from anesthesia and was brought back to his behind-the-scenes holding area around 4:30 p.m. to recover. He was conscious and responsive at that time. Around 7:00 p.m., staff reported that he was responsive to noise and mobile. Early this morning, he was sadly found deceased by members of our animal care team. 

At this time, the cause of death is unknown. A necropsy (animal autopsy) will be performed this morning to determine any obvious cause of death. It will be several weeks before the GSC receives final histological results from tissue samples. 

“Drogo has been a centerpiece of the Greensboro Science Center since his arrival in September of 2016,” said Jessica Hoffman, VP of Animal Care and Welfare. “Our dinosaur gallery renovation was designed around this magnificent species and we couldn’t have asked for a better representative. Drogo was an intelligent and outgoing individual who was loved by all who knew him, especially his dedicated care team.”

The GSC team is grateful for the public’s thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.