In his time at the Moscow Zoo, Saturn had several narrow escapes from death. In the 1980s, a slab of concrete fell from the aquarium's ceiling into the alligator enclosure, but luckily for Saturn, he had made his way to a protective niche beforehand.[1] In 1990, a new aquarium building was built, but Saturn resisted the move, refusing to eat for four months and becoming close to death.[3] Once, a drunk visitor threw a boulder on his head to wake him up, after which zoo veterinarians fought to keep him alive for months.[2] Another time, a group of tourists threw glass bottles at Saturn, injuring him.[3] After these incidents, the enclosure was made more secure with the addition of thick glass wall.[2][12] In the 2010s, Saturn once again stopped eating, this time for nearly a year.[4] Zoo staff took blood samples for analysis, and injected him with vitamins to try to keep him alive.[10] He did eventually resume eating.[10]