A Happy Gilmore and Dr. Dolittle 2 movie star has sadly passed away. That's right, the entertaining alligator, Morris, from those films has died.
The reptile passed away on May 11. Fortunately, Morris lived a long and thrilling life. And he got to enjoy his later years at the Colorado Gator Farm in Mosca, Colorado where he later died. They announced on Facebook that the reptile had passed after 19 years at the park.
"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 revealed. "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. While we knew this was inevitable, we are very saddened by his passing to old age. RIP Morris."
Farm owner Jay Young mourned the loss of Morris. But he said they knew the end was near.
"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."
Morris Dies
"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."
That is true. But few get to live like Morris did. The reptile starred in several movies including Blues Brothers 2000 and Interview with the Vampire in addition to the ones mentioned above. This came after he spent his early life as an illegal pet living in a backyard.
"Morris [will be] taxidermied so that he can continue to scare children for years to come," Colorado Gator Farm said in an update. "It's what he would have wanted."
