An Australian saltwater crocodile who starred in the hit film Crocodile Dundee has died aged 90, the reptile’s zoo said yesterday.
Burt, the 5m crocodile, died “peacefully,” according to a statement from the Darwin Aquarium, where he lived in Crocosaurus Cove.
“Burt’s life story is one of strength, resilience and a personality as bold as the Top End [Northern Territory] itself,” the statement said.
Photo: AP
The reptile was captured in the Reynolds River in the Northern Territory in the 1980s before he became “one of the most recognized crocodiles in the world,” the aquarium said.
“Burt was truly one of a kind. He wasn’t just a crocodile; he was a force of nature and a reminder of the power and majesty of these incredible creatures,” it said.
In the 1986 film Crocodile Dundee, Burt was used in a scene where American reporter Sue Charlton, played by Linda Kozlowski, is attacked by a crocodile while refilling her canteen, only to be rescued by Paul Hogan’s Mick Dundee.
The scene used footage of Burt “launching out of the water,” Crocosaurus Cove chief executive Penny Priest told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
“Obviously, he wasn’t in the whole scene, but that was where he made his debut,” she said.
The creature shown in more detail as Dundee saves the day is apparently something else.
The Internet Movie Database says the movie goofed by depicting an American alligator, which has a blunter snout.
“Known for his independent nature, Burt was a confirmed bachelor — an attitude he made clear during his earlier years at a crocodile farm,” the aquarium wrote in social media posts.
Post Crocodile Dundee fame, Burt stayed in the spotlight thanks to his alleged psychic abilities, predicting elections and the outcome of major sporting events — with mixed success.
The aquarium urged the public to remember the importance of conserving wildlife.
Additional reporting by AP
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