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Morris, the alligator seen in several films, including Happy Gilmore and Dr. Dolittle 2, died on Sunday, May 11. He was over 80 years old.
Morris resided at the Colorado Gator Farm in Mosca, Colo. The farm announced via Facebook that its oldest alligator died on Sunday, explaining that Morris lived at the park for 19 years.
“Morris was known for his work in many movies and TV shows from 1975 to 2006, when he retired to live out his days at Colorado Gators,” the Facebook announcement read.
The farm couldn’t provide the celebrity reptile’s exact age, but estimated, based on his size and teeth, that he was between 80 and 100 years old.
“His exact age was unknown, but he was 9 feet long in 1975 and by his growth rate and tooth loss, we can estimate his age at over 80 years,” the Facebook announcement continued. “While we knew this was inevitable, we are very saddened by his passing to old age. RIP Morris.”
Universal/ Everett
Farm owner and operator Jay Young spoke of Morris’ life and legacy as he held the deceased’s animal head in a video accompanying the announcement.
“He started acting strange a week ago. He wasn’t looking at us and wasn’t taking food,” Young said. “I know it’s strange to people that we get so attached to an alligator. To all our animals, we love our cats and dogs, too.”
“It’s the worst part of what we do, losing animals,” Young continued. “But this isn’t as tragic as some of the things we’ve experienced in the past. He had a happy time here, and he died of old age, and it’s not as tragic as some of the family members we’ve lost here. But that’s part of life. Everything that lives must die.”
Morris was discovered as an illegal pet in a Los Angeles backyard when he was around 10 to 20 years old, per CBS News Colorado. He was then taken to the only person in L.A. with the right permits to house an alligator, and that person happened to work in the film industry.
Morris had a notable career and starred in films and TV shows from 1975 to 2006, appearing in Happy Gilmore, Dr. Dolittle 2, Interview with the Vampire, Eraser, Blues Brothers 2000, and episodes of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Night Court and Coach. After retiring from Hollywood in 2006, Morris moved to Colorado.
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“Morris [will be] taxidermied so that he can continue to scare children for years to come,” Colorado Gator Farm said in an update on Monday, May 12. “It’s what he would have wanted.”
