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Burt, the hot-tempered crocodile from “Crocodile Dundee,” dies at the age of 90

Burt, the hot-tempered crocodile from “Crocodile Dundee,” dies at the age of 90

Burt, the saltwater crocodile made famous in the 1980s action comedy “Crocodile Dundee,” has died.

The quick-tempered but cold-blooded animal actor, estimated to be around 90 years old, “passed away peacefully” over the weekend, according to Crocosaurus Cove, the aquarium and exhibition center in Darwin, Australia, where he was housed. The organization announced the reptile’s death on social media on Sunday, saying it was “the end of an incredible era.”

Read more: “Crocodile Dundee”: Paul Hogan, the man from Down Under, is on the way up

“Burt’s life story is one of strength, resilience and a personality as courageous as the Top End itself,” the aquarium’s statement said, referring to the country’s rugged northern territory. “Burt was captured in the Reynolds River in the 1980s and became one of the most famous crocodiles in the world. He appeared in Crocodile Dundee and shaped the image of Australia as a land of rugged natural beauty and impressive wildlife.”

Burt starred alongside lovable Australian Paul Hogan in the Australian-American fish-out-of-water comedy about Mick Dundee, a crocodile-poaching bushman who rose to fame after allegedly losing his leg to a hostile crocodile (spoiler: he didn’t do it). in a wild reptile encounter. In the Peter Faiman-directed film, released in Australia in 1985 and in the United States in 1986, a glamorous American reporter (Linda Kozlowski, who later married and divorced Hogan) brings the Australian adventurer to New York City, where he must go test out a range of new survival skills.

Read more: Hogan: More wonders from down under

Hogan, credited with single-handedly boosting Austrialia’s tourism with his “Come to Australia” TV commercials in the 1980s, unofficially continued this campaign by co-writing and co-starring on the film took part, which made him even more popular with international audiences as a self-proclaimed “people’s hero”. Crocodile Dundee became and remains Australia’s highest-grossing domestic film, grossing $47.7 million (Australian), and spawned two sequels, 1988’s Crocodile Dundee II and 2001’s Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles. The The first film became the most commercially successful Australian film of all time and is one of the most successful according to the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia Non-Hollywood Films of All Time.

For his part, Burt has been described as “a passionate and fascinating ambassador for crocodile education” since he came to Crocosaurus Cove in 2008. The crocodile was independent and apparently a “confirmed bachelor,” a trait he had “made clear in his earlier years on a crocodile farm,” the Bay said.

Read more: On the trail of “Crocodile Dundee” in Australia

“His fiery temperament earned him the respect of his handlers and visitors alike, as he embodied the raw and untamed spirit of the saltwater crocodile,” the statement said, noting that he served as a reminder of the “power and majesty of these incredible creatures.” .”

“Although his personality could be challenging, that was also what made him so memorable and beloved by those who worked with him and the thousands who visited him over the years. Visitors from around the world marveled at its impressive size and commanding presence, especially at…feeding time,” the Bay said, adding: “As we mourn its loss, we are reminded of the crucial role of wildlife in our shared history and “How important it is to preserve them for future generations.”

Crocosaurus Cove plans to commemorate Burt with a plaque at the attraction, which features the world’s largest exhibit of Australian reptiles and some of the largest saltwater crocodiles in the country.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.

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