Photo credit: Nathan Congleton
This is definitely a hard post. I went back and forth on whether I should even write about this. When an animal dies, it’s depressing. It’s my least favorite part about working with animals. Godzilla’s sudden death came completely out of left field. He appeared healthy, was eating like a champ, and in less than a week, took a turn for the worse. He was 13. He died of kidney failure, a common disease found in captive iguanas. I’m still in shock; it’s like losing a member of the family. As hard as this blog is to write, I need to do it. I need to pay tribute to Godzilla. I also need to share with you, my reader, what it’s like. Working with animals is not always fun. There’s ups and there’s downs. It’s raw and it’s real.
I rescued Godzilla in December 2010. I received a letter in the mail from a woman in Boise, Idaho. She stated she had a very “tame” iguana that she needed to find a home for. I went over and found Godzilla practically frozen to a window seal. He didn’t have the proper heating nor was being fed a healthy diet. Even though I already had an iguana at the time (Scooter), I decided to take him in.
Godzilla shortly after I rescued him in 2010.
I do not think Godzilla’s owner was a bad person. I believe she cared for him the best way she knew how to. Many people buy exotic pets and do not realize the specialized care they require.
Godzilla pictured in 2014.
Godzilla was quite the character. He wasn’t overly friendly and would puff himself up to intimidate anyone who approached him. He would also sometimes try to whip his tail but couldn’t fully get it to whip all the way. I’m assuming a past tail injury prevented him from doing so. (He had lost a portion of his tail prior to me rescuing him)
Godzilla did manage to tag me on the back of my head at one point! It was 100% my fault for not respecting his personal space. Do I think Godzilla was out to get me? Perhaps. Godzilla was simply being an iguana. Many iguanas show signs of aggression heading into adulthood, especially males.
Godzilla basking in the Idaho sunshine.
My favorite time of the year is spring and summer. It’s when the animals are able to enjoy their outdoor habitats. This is where I felt Godzilla was the happiest. He was outside able to soak up the sunshine, hear the local wildlife, and the running creek.
Godzilla and I in April 2016.
Every day in the spring/summer (weather pending) I would take Godzilla from his indoor home to his outdoor home in the morning, and vice versa at night.
Godzilla doing his classic head bob.
Every time I would place him on his branch, he’d bob his head up and down. This basically means, “I’m the biggest and baddest iguana around, this is my branch, BACK OFF!”
One of the things I'm most proud of, is the amount of people Godzilla reached. Thousands upon thousands of people went to our live shows over the nine years he was with me. He was an ambassador for his wild counterparts and his story served as an example to promote responsible pet ownership.
Godzilla and i appearing at The Villains at the Village in Meridian, Idaho in 2017.
Godzilla was the first animal I would introduce to audiences during my live shows. I could always depend on him to impress the crowd and entertain them with his spontaneous head bobs.
Godzilla and I during an appearance at The Eagle Library in Eagle, Idaho.
One of my favorite parts of the show is when I would talk about Godzilla’s flap of skin underneath his chin, also known as his dewlap. Kids would chuckle as I would tell them he’d extend it to attract the “lady iguanas”. I’d typically pick an adult volunteer to be that “lady iguana” to their dismay!
Backstage at a show with my sister, Micah, and Godzilla.
Godzilla never really liked my sister. A running joke in the show was that every time he’d see her, he’d puff himself up and try to charge her. In reality, he would do that to anyone!
Over the years, Godzilla and I visited hundreds of local schools in The Treasure Valley in Idaho.
Godzilla surprising a guest during a VIP meet-and-greet for the Denim and Diamonds Pet Gala in Reno, Nevada.
Godzilla was an animal people would meet and never forget. He almost gave this guest a heart attack!
Godzilla and I pictured in Rexburg, Idaho in 2019.
Godzilla did eventually calm down with age. No, he wasn’t the most socialized iguana but he was definitely handable!
Godzilla on the set of KTVB News Channel 7 in Boise, Idaho.
Godzilla did make his rounds on local TV! Here he is looking like a stud about to go on-air at KTVB News Channel 7.
Gozilla and I on the set of Idaho Living in Meridian, Idaho.
Godzilla and I on KRXI FOX in Reno, NV.
Godzilla and I dressing up for Halloween 2019.
We always have fun celebrating the holidays with the animals. Last year we decided to do our first ever Halloween Costume Contest with the animals. Godzilla was entered as “Batman”!
Thanksgiving 2016.
My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. My wife and I create elaborate diets for our animals filled with their favorite treats. Cooked yam was always one of Godzilla’s favorite foods.
This last Thanksgiving (2019) I put together a video of our animals enjoying their feasts! Godzilla made several cameos!
Godzilla’s last public appearance in October 2019.
If you would have told me that this would be our last public appearance, I wouldn’t have believed you. I honestly thought I had years left with Godzilla.
Godzilla pictured in November 2019.
This is one of the last pictures we took of Godzilla before he started showing signs of an illness. Reptiles are naturally born fighters. In the wild, if an animal were to show signs of weakness or sickness, they’d show vulnerability and be more susceptible to predation. The rule of thumb is when a reptile starts showing signs of sickness, it’s far along and many do not recover. We immediately took Godzilla to our vet and it was determined he was dying from kidney failure. We were sent home with steroids and fluids and did absolutely everything we could to try and save him. Godzilla passed the very next day.
I buried Godzilla by the creek running past his outdoor home. It was his favorite place to be and now I feel at peace knowing he’ll always be there. I’m really going to miss him.
Godzilla and I in 2018.
Losing any animal is hard. Losing Godzilla was like losing a member of the family. After his death, there was such an eerie silence in the animal house. He brought so much life to everything. As sad as it is, I look back on our memories together with a smile. He brought so many smiles to thousands of kids. He brought laughter to so many audiences. He was a great ambassador for his species. And to this day, I still have that scar where he bit me on the back of the head. A mark I will proudly have forever.