Morris The Alligator, Star of ‘Alligator’, Has Passed Away Peacefully in His Colorado Home
Our hearts go out to the proprietors of the Colorado Gators Reptile Park in Colorado. We recently learned that the organization’s most senior resident, Morris (an alligator with a Hollywood resume that would make many blush), passed away on Sunday.
Morris is best known to horror fans for his epic turn in the 1980 creature feature Alligator. The camera-ready gator began a career in show business when he landed with the animal trainers at Brocketts Film Fauna in 1975. Morris proved a quick study and remained in their care, making somewhat regular feature film and television appearances until retiring at the Colorado Gators Reptile Park in 2006. Morris lived there until his recent passing.
It’s quite clear that the folks at the Colorado-based animal sanctuary loved him dearly. Proprietor Jay Young broke the news Monday via the organization’s Facebook page.
“Colorado Gators is sad to report the passing away of our oldest alligator, Morris,” the post caption begins. “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. 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.”
The above caption accompanies a video of Young explaining that Morris is gone. It’s a loving tribute, but the clip is not easy to watch. Young holds a lifeless Morris in his arms, sobbing over the gator’s recent passing and gently caressing the late animal’s elongated head. As someone who loves my animals as much as (or more than) I love most humans, I empathize deeply.
Through his grief, one thing is evident: Young and company have a sense of humor. The animal sanctuary posted a follow-up post to Facebook, saying: “We have decided to get Morris taxidermied so that he can continue to scare children for years to come. It’s what he would have wanted.”
Morris came from humble beginnings. Prior to his eventual brush with stardom, the gator was kept as an illegal pet. Hollywood animal trainer Jim Brockett (of Brockett’s Film Fauna) eventually rescued Morris and trained him to be a star. Brockett’s tutelage served Morris well, and the talented gator began booking screen gigs on the regular. In addition to Alligator, Morris also appeared in Interview with a Vampire, Happy Gilmore, Eraser, and plenty of other films.
Morris also tried his hand at television, making appearances on Night Court and The Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno.
That’s all we’ve got for you at present, dear reader. I hope you’ll make a point to watch one of Morris’ movies soon to celebrate his lasting legacy. Stay tuned to the site for more timely updates as we unearth them.
H/T: USA Today
Categorized:News
