Fans have been mourning the loss of a key star of the Crocodile Dundee movie who died over the weekend.
Set in the Australian Outback and New York City, Crocodile Dundee became a blockbuster hit when it came out in 1986, ranking as the highest-grossing Australian film of all time.
The movie even led to Paul Hogan, who played the adventurous Michael ‘Crocodile’ Dundee’, bagging a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a motion picture musical or comedy.
Paul Hogan with his co-star, Burt (Paramount Pictures)
However, a lesser known but equally important co-star of the film was Burt, a 5.1-meter mega Saltwater crocodile, who weighed in around 700kg.
The beast was estimated to be more than 90 years old before his ‘peaceful’ death at a crocodile zoo in Darwin, Australia, over the weekend – and his handlers say he was quite the character, too.
Crocosaurus Cove, the crocodile attraction and aquarium that had looked after Burt since 2008, announced his death on Monday (December 23) and shared a touching tribute about their ‘iconic’ resident.
The team said in a post on Facebook: “Burt’s life story is one of strength, resilience, and a personality as bold as the Top End itself.
“Captured in the 1980s in the Reynolds River, Burt became one of the most recognised crocodiles in the world, appearing in Crocodile Dundee and helping to shape Australia’s image as a land of rugged natural beauty and awe-inspiring wildlife.”
Burt lived at the Darwin sanctuary for 16 years (Facebook/Crocosaurus Cove Darwin)
When Burt made his way to Crocosaurus Cove, he became a ‘fierce and fascinating ambassador for crocodile education’, the team continued, and known for ‘his independent nature’ and ‘bachelor’ attitude.
The post added: “His fiery temperament earned him the respect of his caretakers and visitors alike, as he embodied the raw and untamed spirit of the saltwater crocodile.”
They said Burt was ‘truly one of a kind’ and ‘wasn’t just a crocodile’ but rather a majestic ‘force of nature’, though admitted his personality ‘could be challenging’.
His handlers said Burt had a huge personality and was quite a bachelor (Facebook/Crocosaurus Cove Darwin)
Still, it was his incredible power and his character which attracted thousands of visitors over the years and made him so well loved by those who looked after him.
The zoo team said his death marks ‘the end of an incredible era’ and they plan to honor Burt’s legacy with a commemorative plaque at the attraction.
The post added: “As we mourn his loss, we are reminded of the vital role wildlife plays in our shared history and the importance of preserving it for future generations.”
Hundreds of fans have since flocked to social media to share their own fond memories of Burt.
One wrote: “RIP Burt, it was a joy feeding you back at the Darwin Crocodile Farm back in the days and you terrified me some days when you were in a bad mood, especially trying to scrub the Moss off you.”
Another added: “I had the amazing privilege of getting to feed Burt as part of my VIP tour when I visited in October 2022.
“He was truly such an incredibly beautiful and powerful animal and feeding him was one of the great moments of my time up in Darwin.”
Burt became the model for a digitally created man-eating crocodile in the film Rogue (Dimension Films)
Australian Minister for Parks and Wildlife Marie-Clare Boothby also said in an address to media on Monday that Burt was a ‘true icon of the Territory’.
Burt last hit headlines in 2015 after two ‘intoxicated’ teens snuck into his enclosure at 4am to taunt him, throwing objects at him that he reportedly ‘destroyed’.
While he starred alongside Hogan and Linda Kozlowski in the original movie, Burt also became the blueprint of the digital crocodile used in the 2007 film, Rogue.