Burt ( 1920s or 1930s – December 2024) was an Australian

saltwater crocodile The saltwater crocodile (''Crocodylus porosus'') is a crocodilian native to saltwater habitats, brackish wetlands and freshwater rivers from India's east coast across Southeast Asia and the Sundaland to northern Australia and Micronesia. It ha ...

who appeared in the 1986 film ''

Crocodile Dundee ''Crocodile Dundee'' is a 1986 action comedy film set in the Australian Outback and in New York City. It stars Paul Hogan as the weathered Mick Dundee and American actress Linda Kozlowski as reporter Sue Charlton. Inspired by the true-life ex ...

''. He died in December 2024, estimated to be at least 90 years old. Burt was named after

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor most famous during the 1970s and 1980s. He became well known in television series such as ''Gunsmoke'' (1962–1965), '' Hawk'' (1966) and '' Dan Augus ...

. He was cast in ''Crocodile Dundee'' a few years after being captured in the wild from the Reynolds River in Australia's

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

. Burt appears in a scene where American journalist Sue Charlton (portrayed by Linda Kozlowski) is saved by Mick Dundee (

Paul Hogan Paul Hogan (born 8 October 1939) is an Australian actor and comedian. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance as ...

) during a crocodile attack. Burt also served as the visual effects model in the 2007 Australian film '' Rogue''. From 2008, he lived at

Crocosaurus Cove Crocosaurus Cove is a crocodile (and other reptile) herpetarium and aquarium attraction located in an indoor-outdoor complex in the Darwin_central_business_district, city district of Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australi ...

, a crocodile sanctuary in Darwin, where staff noted his "fiery temperament". In 2018, he was used in an attempt to predict the

2018 FIFA World Cup final The 2018 FIFA World Cup final was the final match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, 2018 World Cup, the 21st edition of FIFA's competition for national association football, football teams. The match was played at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russ ...

between

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

. Burt was presented with flags with chicken wings attached, which were the same size and colour. Burt first bit the French flag, and France later won the match, leading to him being dubbed the "Psychic Croc" by ''

Northern Territory News The ''Northern Territory News'' (also known and branded as the ''NT News'') is a morning Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper based in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published every week from ...

''. Burt had previously been used in an incorrect prediction that

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

would defeat France during their group match at the same tournament. Burt died at Crocosaurus Cove on the weekend of 21–22 December 2024. The sanctuary described him as a "fierce and fascinating ambassador for crocodile education" and stated they would erect a commemorative sign in his honour. Burt's precise age at death is unknown, as he was captured in the 1980s at an indeterminate age. Experts estimate that he was likely nearing 100 years old. He was measured to be long and weighed .

References

{{Animal actors 1930s animal births 2024 animal deaths Crocodile Dundee Individual crocodiles Individual animals in Australia Animal actors

See also

References