MOSCA, Colo. — Morris the alligator, known for his role in "Happy Gilmore," died at the Colorado Gator Farm in the San Luis Valley earlier this week, according to the owner of the exotic animal refuge.
In a social media post on Mother's Day, Jay Young, the owner of the Colorado Gator Farm, announced the passing of his friend, whom he referred to as Morris "The Movie Star." The alligator died of old age, he said.
Young went on to talk about how the farm never really knew how old Morris was, though he suspects the alligator may have been anywhere between 80 and 100 years old.
Morris retired to the Colorado Gator Farm in 2006 and Young said he had only grown two inches in his 19 years at the farm.
You can watch him talk about the what Morris meant to him below. Warning: The video shows a dead animal, viewer discretion is advised.
People who got a chance to meet Morris at the Colorado Gator Farm have been sharing their memories of the reptile, with the original post garnering hundreds of comments.
"I was able to visit Morris a few times over the years. He was a famous movie star! Thank you for all the great care you gave him and for your love and compassion for all your animals great and small. Grief is the price of love and we can see how much he was loved. My condolences to you and everyone who loves him," wrote Bonnie Rulz on the original post.
Morris' former co-star, Adam Sandler, posted his condolences on Instagram.
Goodbye, Morris. We are all gonna miss you. You could be hard on directors, make-up artists, costumers - really anyone with arms or legs - but I know you did it for the ultimate good of the film," Sandler wrote in his eulogy. "I will miss the sound of your tail sliding through the tall grass, your cold, bumpy skin, but, most of all, I will miss your infectious laugh."
Do you have a photo with Morris? We would love to see it, feel free to send them into the form and gallery below!
So what is next for Morris? In an announcement on Tuesday, the Colorado Gator Farm plans to get him made into a taxidermy so future generations can see him for years to come, and when they weighed him, he came out to 640 pounds.
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