True Star of Crocodile Dundee, Burt the Croc, Dies at 90

Burt, known as the “bastard” of the saltwater croc from Crocodile Dundee, he died over the weekend. Long live Burt.

Along with the knife, there wouldn’t be Crocodile Dundee without a crocodile, and Burt both appeared in the 1986 film and is said to have inspired the crocodile that nearly killed unsuspecting journalist Sue Charlton (played by Linda Kozlowski) in one tense scene.

Burt “passed away peacefully” at Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin, Australia, herpetarium and aquarium. he wrote on Facebookhe is estimated to have lived into his 90s.

Named after the late actor Burt Reynolds and weighing around 1,500 pounds, Burt runs the gamut between Australian and American comedy. Crocodile they come out of the dark water as Charlton rushes to get cold water and a drink, when he (or rather, the owner claims to be him) suddenly breaks the canteen off his neck with his big, big, sharp teeth. In time, voyeur Mick Dundee (played by Paul Hogan) jumps into the frame and mercilessly kills Burt with his famous knife.

The incident brings the characters together and ends with a hug. In Dundee’s arms, Charlton asks, “is it dead?” Dundee replies with a laugh, “Well if not, I’ll have a job getting rid of the bastard.”

Burt’s appearance on the screen wasn’t just a myth, according to the Crocosaurus Cove post. In the lake there was a “fiery,” “fierce,” and “difficult” crocodile that became “a well-known ambassador for crocodile studies.” The website also called him “a determined young man—a sentiment he made clear in his early years at the crocodile farm.”

Burt first arrived at the farm in the 1980s, after being caught from the Reynolds River in Australia’s Northern Territory, according to a TV post. The largest reptiles that exist today, saltwater crocodiles are also found Eastern India and Southeast Asia. They are not listed as endangered, although National Geographic says the species’ “cannibalistic history” makes it “habitual to humans.” It is understandable that this happens because of movies like Crocodile Dundeeas experts have done collaboration with Steven Spielberg Hands (1975) to the negative effects of sharks.

On Facebook, visitors to Crocosaurus Cove shared their memories of Burt and wished the mighty reptile well beyond.

“I hope the rivers are full of delicious fish where you are now,” said one commenter fondly. “I hope WD is thrown away and not burned,” offered another.