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Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I was kidnapped, raped and tortured by ruthless human traffickers - only to be plunged into an even worse nightmare when I finally escaped their clutches
At just 17 years old, Lurata Lyon was snatched off the streets in a war-torn Serbia by a brutal human trafficking gang. One moment, she was a bright young teen with dreams of becoming a doctor like her father and the next she had vanished into the shadows of war - silenced, and sold by traffickers who saw her not as a person, but a commodity. What followed was a descent into a nightmare most would not survive: months in solitary confinement being raped, beaten and branded by her captors. Now a leading campaigner against human trafficking and modern slavery, her story stands as a powerful testament to endurance, faith, and the strength it takes to rebuild. Born an only child to a loving couple in a small village in Serbia called Veliki Trnovac, Lurata remembers a home not of privilege, but of happiness: 'I didn't grow up with lots, but we were really rich in love.' Her father, a doctor who would often worked for free for the local community and her mother, warm and watchful, kept their small household united: 'We were the Three Musketeers,' she lightly laughed, 'that was our kind of wealth.' A keen student, Lurata grew up dreaming of becoming a doctor, inspired by her father: 'He was never about the money,' she says with a smile, 'he just wanted to help people. That was his calling. And I thought, when I grow up, I want to be like him.' But fate had other plans. In the early 1990s, Yugoslavia began to fracture violently along ethnic lines, and within a decade would become six separate states, known today as Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and North Macedonia. But these years were notoriously marked by depraved war crimes of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and mass wartime rape. 'We knew something was coming,' she recalls, 'there were signs. You hope war never comes to your doorstep. But it can, in a split second.' By the time Lurata was 17, those cracks had split wide open. Schools closed, police curfews were enforced, and the quiet life she'd always known slipped away. Her father had heard that their village was earmarked to be massacred as part of an ethnic cleanse of the region, as such begged her to flee through the mountains, to the Red Cross who he believed could protect her. Thankfully for their village, Lurata's wealthy uncle bribed the men who came to kill them, handing over everything he owned in order to spare their lives. However, still fearful of what was coming, Lurata argreed to leave the village and alone, at 17, she trekked through the mountains to Kosovo in search of the Red Cross. Exhausted, dehydrated and having no idea where to go next, she sat down outside of a pub, unbeknownst to her that she was out past curfew and was risking being shot for such an offence. Moments later she was approached by two American police officers, part of the international peacekeeping force, and a translator. Their names were Brian and Peter. 'They came out with a translator and started questioning me - what I was doing on the streets, where I was from. I told them the truth: I was from Serbia.' A dangerous admission in the middle of Kosovo during wartime. Little did she know then this was the start of a lifelong friendship: 'They treated me like their own. They gave me safety when I had nothing.' Brian and Peter offered her shelter, fed her, gave her blankets and a sofa to sleep. She stayed with the two men for what she recalls as a few months, helping out around the house and waiting for them to secure her safe passage to the Red Cross. But safety was fleeting. One day, bored, she thought she could risk going outside along to buy a newspaper. Although the stand was just over the road, within seconds of stepping outside the house, a van pulled up alongside her. She had a bag put over her head and was thrown into the back. Now reminiscing she declares: 'They were waiting for me. We later pieced it together - the translator who had helped me speak to Brian and Peter had told people there was a Serbian girl living with two Americans. That should have been confidential information.' She continued: 'After a short drive, we arrived at some place, but I couldn't see anything clearly at first. 'They dragged me inside and threw me into a room. There was a man sitting at a table. He looked at me and said, 'She's the one.' 'I remember thinking, What do you mean, the one? I wasn't anyone special. I tried to plead with them, tell them they've made a mistake and to let me go. 'But they started accusing me of being a spy. I was 17 years old. A spy? I couldn't understand what was happening. 'Then the boss said something that changed everything: 'Flip her over and rape her. I want to watch.'' Gripped by the terror of what might happen next Lurata began to scream that she was a virgin, not knowing that this would make her even more precious 'cargo' to these depraved men. After finding out this knowledge, she was spared the torment then as now they would be able to fetch a higher price to 'sell her to the highest bidder'. 'During that time, I was being groomed - trained in how to behave, how to 'please.' They made me watch horrible things. The boss and his partners abusing other girls. They forced me to watch, to learn. 'There was one I remember vividly. She was unconscious and being abused. I'll never forget it. That broke me. What they did to her - I will carry it with me forever.' She was eventually sold and it meant she had to be moved, however when the traffickers tried to cross into Albania, Italian troops turned them away. As such the boss decided she was 'more trouble than she is worth', saying 'rape her do whatever you want to her and then get rid of her.' Panic stricken she began to beg the man she had been left with if she could pray. 'I hadn't prayed in a long time, and I knew I'd made a lot of mistakes in my life. So the prayer came from desperation. I was preparing to die. 'I said, 'Let's do this in a dignified way. You're Muslim, I'm Muslim too - I was raised that way. Please, can we just do this kindly? I'm so scared. I know I'm about to die, but don't send me off like this.' To her surprise, the man paused. Instead of carrying out the order, he allowed her to pray and went into the bathroom. But as she recited her final prayers, filled with sorrow and guilt, Lurata experienced what she describes as an inner voice that saved her life. 'I was weeping inside. I was saying, 'I'm so sorry, Mum and Dad. I've let you down. You'll never know where I am.' And then I heard a voice in my mind. It said: 'Turn around.' She hesitated. In her faith, prayer is sacred and not to be interrupted. But driven by something unknown she turned. 'On the table were the gun and a ring of keys. I looked at both and didn't know what to do. But then I felt this surge of courage. I got up, looked again, grabbed the keys and ran.' The escape was far from over. Lurata ran to the apartment door, only to face two locked barriers: a wooden door and a second layer of metal security bars. 'I opened the wooden door, but the metal one wouldn't open. I was fumbling, panicking, trying every key. I was frantic. And then—somehow—I managed to unlock it.' She burst out of the apartment in a frenzy, but her captor was not far behind. Just as she reached the street-level door, she was attacked. 'I heard him behind me. His footsteps getting closer - faster - and then bang - he punched me right in the face. So hard that I flew into the street.' Lurata hit the pavement dazed, struggling to understand what was happening. Then she saw it - a parked Jeep. It appeared empty, until her desperate screams summoned a figure from the shadows. 'I started screaming. And, by some miracle, it turned out to be a UN police officer who had just finished his shift.' The officer ran to help her, but her captor returned with the gun and opened fire. Thankfully the officer had time to radio in for back-up and within moments, UN vehicles surrounded the scene. With nowhere else to go, Lurata told them she had previously stayed with two American police officers, Peter and Brian. Police managed to contact Peter, who came immediately. But unable to stay with the pair she made the decision to return to her parents home in Serbia, so she retraced the same mountain route she had taken months earlier. However her reunion with her family was far from joyful. What she expected to be a heartwarming return quickly turned into confusion and despair. 'My mother wasn't happy to see me - she cried and screamed, 'You shouldn't have come back!' She had been spotted coming back into Serbia and and followed home. Soon after, soldiers arrived to arrest her. At first, Lurata didn't feel threatened. She assumed they were part of her own national army - protectors, not predators. But these weren't trained professionals, instead they were crazed vigilantes who preferred to take matters into their own hands. 'You could tell who was real and who wasn't by the shoes,' she said. 'The ones with trainers came for me. I told my parents, 'Don't worry, I'll explain what happened. They'll release me.' I was so naïve.' As she was led away, her mother screamed in the garden, restrained only by her father. She was taken to an abandoned building high in the mountains, which had been converted in to a secret interrogation site. 'At first, it was just normal questioning,' she recalled. 'But as it went on, it got more and more intense. They wouldn't believe me. I kept telling them the story, but they became so frustrated that they started beating me. 'I lost teeth, my jaw was dislocated, and my ear was ripped from the power of the blows.' Then in a final attempt to get her to 'confess' to crimes she had not committed they scarred her for life. 'They branded me. That's when I blacked out. The pain was so excruciating, I don't remember much after that. I just woke up in a small, dark room.' When she woke, her eyes were swollen shut. She was still bleeding and so confused and disoriented, she believed she had been buried alive. 'The room was so dark, I started screaming and scratching the walls, banging on the door. I thought I was underground. I panicked for hours. But eventually, I gave in. I was exhausted - from the beatings, the infections. I just didn't have anything left. 'There was no comfort. Just a blanket on the floor. The smell was awful. I tried everything to stay warm. That little space became my whole world.' For the next six months Lurata was held in that dungeon without proper food, daylight or warmth. 'I was being sexually abused daily - multiple times a day. They gave me some kind of soup, but I stopped eating. I wanted to die. I didn't want to survive anymore. 'I starved myself. I tried everything I could to die. But nothing worked. I'd given in to the darkness.' Eventually, Lurata dissociated from her own body and experience, fearing that she would never get out of that hell. 'During one of the abuses, I was just a body that didn't feel anything anymore. I think I got used to the pain. And I started thinking about them -those people doing this to me. What made them so evil? What happened to them as kids? Were they abused too? 'I actually felt sorry for them.' And then, a miracle: her father managed to track her down and bribed the men to allow her to come home, just for 24 hours, to see her, to clean her up, and, ultimately, to plan her escape. 'He wasn't worried about the repercussions. He'd already planned for both him and my mum to be executed if it meant saving me. They had accepted the risk.' On the night of her rescue, there was no time for full goodbyes. Just the haunting knowledge that she would never see them again. 'He told me to say goodbye to my mum. That was when I knew. They had made peace with it. Any parent who loves their child would do the same, I think.' Later that night, she was hidden in a truck and sent away. Her parents stayed behind to face the consequences. A few weeks later she would arrive in the UK, just 18 years old, with the legal status of a political asylum seeker. Years after escaping war and torture Lurata finally received a phone call she had been waiting for. It was her mother. Both her parents had survived the war, but had endured their own horrors for their 'crimes'. Lurata eventually became a British citizen in 2005, and then in 2007, her parents were finally able to visit her in the UK for the first time. Now in her 40s, Lurata has built a life far beyond mere survival. She is a wife, a mother, and a trauma recovery expert who helps others through their own healing journeys. Even recently launching a wellness retreats in Spain to guide others through physical, mental, and spiritual recovery. Despite all her hardships her final message was one of gratitude: 'I'm very grateful to the British government for what they did for me. I thank every taxpayer in every speech I do. 'The money they contributed gave me access to doctors, psychiatrists, medication, operations - everything I needed. I'm forever grateful.'
Geek Vibes Nation
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
'The Three Musketeers' (1973)/'The Four Musketeers' (1974) Criterion Collection 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review
Alexandre Dumas's immortal tale of adventure and camaraderie received perhaps the finest of its numerous screen adaptations with this two-part swashbuckling spectacular from A Hard Day's Night director Richard Lester. Featuring Michael York, Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay, and Richard Chamberlain as the swaggering swordsmen, who thrust and parry their way through courtly intrigue in seventeenth-century France, The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers are also graced with an all-star supporting cast that includes Raquel Welch, Faye Dunaway, Geraldine Chaplin, and Charlton Heston. Lester's exuberant epic breathes new life into an oft-told classic through its boisterous slapstick invention, its meticulous attention to period detail, and a sense of pure, unbridled bravado that is thrilling to behold. The Three Musketeers – Richard Lester's spirited adaptation of Alexandre Dumas's timeless novel immediately distinguished itself from previous film versions with its irresistible lightheartedness. It follows the brash, young wannabe musketeer d'Artagnan (Michael York) as he travels from the French countryside to Paris and befriends Athos (Oliver Reed), Porthos (Frank Finlay), and Aramis (Richard Chamberlain), famed swordsmen whom he must help to stop the conniving Cardinal Richelieu (Charlton Heston) and his plot to undermine the king. The Three Musketeers sweeps viewers away with its exquisite sets and costumes, chivalric romance, and breathless duels punctuated by the ingenious physical comedy that was Lester's trademark. The Four Musketeers – It may be 'all for one and one for all,' but it took director Richard Lester two films to contain the sweeping spectacle of Alexandre Dumas's swashbuckling adventure. This sequel—shot simultaneously with The Three Musketeers, since they were originally conceived as a single film—dials down the comic high jinks that distinguished the first installment in favor of a more somber tone, as our heroes are drawn into a deadly revenge plot orchestrated by the seductive Milady de Winter (a deliciously wicked Faye Dunaway). Upping the psychological stakes and deepening our sense of the characters, The Four Musketeers brings this beloved tale of honor and friendship to a close with a rousing emotional flourish. For thoughts on The Three Musketeers / The Four Musketeers: Two Films by Richard Lester, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required: Video Quality The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers come to 4K UHD Blu-Ray in their original 1.85:1 aspect ratio with a 4K restoration conducted by StudioCanal from the 35mm Original Camera Negatives. Each film is housed on individual discs for a consistent viewing experience across the two parts of the story. The presentations are as close to perfection as you could dream up, as the new transfers look impeccable. There are no major instances of print damage, and overall clarity and detail are out of this world. The aesthetic remains the same across both parts of the epic story with the lavish production design and opulent costumes rendered with ideal texture in 4K UHD. The picture also showcases the environments and facial features with a delicate, tactile touch. These 4K UHD Blu-Ray discs are presented in Dolby Vision for a brilliant example of the benefits of high dynamic range. Colors are bold and favorably saturated in a visually dazzling manner. The color grade takes on a natural appearance with nothing leaning overly warm or cool. Skin tones are lifelike and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in close-ups, especially in regards to makeup. Highlights are never overcooked in any setting, and black levels hold up very well with nothing in the way of crush. There do not appear to be any issues with digital noise due to compression limitations or other such nuisances, thanks to the thoughtful allocation of disc space. This new collection is an incredible treat for fans of these films. Audio Quality The 4K UHD Blu-Ray set comes with remastered LPCM 1.0 tracks for each of these films in the original English with optional English SDH subtitles. The wonderful scores from Michel Legrand and Lalo Schifrin emanate with moving clarity and fidelity, as no weak moments are observed. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear with most of the ensemble sporting stately British accents. There are no major signs of distortion or shortcomings as competing moments avoid clipping important information. There was previously an issue with incorrect pitch on the StudioCanal release overseas that appears to be corrected on this release. Environmental sounds such as the sounds of sword fighting or rain are cleanly rendered alongside everything else. The Criterion Collection has given this collection a stellar audio presentation by all metrics. Special Features The Criterion 4K UHD Blu-Ray of The Three Musketeers / The Four Musketeers: Two Films by Richard Lester includes a booklet featuring the essay 'En Garde For Joy!' by author Stephanie Zacharek in which she delves into the career of Richard Lester, the history of this text on screen, and much more that is very illuminating. The on-disc special features are as follows: The Three Musketeers The Saga of the Musketeers, Part One: A 23-minute beginning to a documentary directed by David Gregory in 2002 that features interviews with the cast and creative team including producer Ilya Salkind, actors Michael York and Charlton Heston, and countless more. There are discussions about the decision to go back to the original source material to make a picture less sanitized, the casting of the ensemble, the direction of Richard Lester, and more. Two For One, Part One: The 30-minute beginning of a new four-part documentary created by critic David Cairns that explores the pre-production of this series through a visual essay style and audio interviews with key creative figures. Two For One, Part Two: The 43-minute continuation of the new documentary that continues to explore the production of the film in Spain, Lester's directing style to maintain authenticity, working with large swaths of extras, and more. The Making of The Three Musketeers: A seven-minute promotional piece from 1973 that gives you a glimpse at the production. Trailer (3:01) The Four Musketeers The Saga of the Musketeers, Part Two: A 25-minute conclusion to a documentary directed by David Gregory in 2002 that features interviews with the previously-named interview subjects and more. There are discussions about the stunt work, the injuries sustained, memories of the ensemble, the success of the film, and more. Two For One, Part Three: The 42-minute third entry of a new four-part documentary created by critic David Cairns that continues to examine the production of the film including the set design, the costumes, money issues, the cinematography, and more. Two For One, Part Four: The 26-minute conclusion of the new documentary that transitions to the post-production of the film including the tense editing process, the dubbing of many jokes into the background dialogue, the decision to make a sequel, and more. Trailer (3:01) Final Thoughts The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers are a pair of swashbuckling films that tackle the classic material with respect while also injecting a sense of levity into the experience. The ensemble is stacked to the brim with amazing actors putting forth memorable performances that only grow in estimation over the two installments. The direction of Richard Lester may be a bit too slapstick for some, yet there is a clear sense of vision, scale, and brutality in the combat as you witness the story unfold in grand fashion. You will have a lot of fun with these films. The Criterion Collection has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray set that features the films with a wonderful A/V presentation and a fine assortment of special features. If you are a fan of this timeless story, you should spend some time with these films. Recommended The Three Musketeers / The Four Musketeers: Two Films by Richard Lester will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and 4K UHD Blu-Ray on May 27, 2025. Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray. Disclaimer: The Criterion Collection has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Adam Sandler pays tribute to 'Happy Gilmore' alligator Morris who died of old age: 'We are all gonna miss you'
An alligator that appeared in numerous TV shows and films over three decades, most notably the 1996 Adam Sandler comedy " Happy Gilmore ," has died at a gator farm in southern Colorado. Based on his growth rate and tooth loss, Morris the alligator was at least 80 years old when he died, the Colorado Gator Farm said in a Facebook post Sunday. He was nearly 11 feet (3.3 meters) long and weighed 640 pounds (290 kilograms). "He started acting strange about a week ago. He wasn't lunging at us and wasn't taking food," Jay Young, the farm's owner and operator, said in a video as he tearfully stroked Morris' head in an animal enclosure. "I know it's strange to people that we get so attached to an alligator, to all of our animals. ... He had a happy time here, and he died of old age," he said. Morris, who was found in the backyard of a Los Angeles home as an illegal pet, started his Hollywood career in 1975 and retired in 2006, when he was sent to the Colorado Gator Farm in the tiny town of Mosca. He appeared in several films, including "Interview with the Vampire," "Dr. Dolittle 2" and "Blues Brothers 2000." He also appeared on "Coach," "Night Court" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno " featuring the late wildlife expert Steve Irwin . But his most famous role was in "Happy Gilmore," a film about a failed and ill-tempered hockey player who discovers a talent for golf. The title character played by Sandler confronts Morris after hitting a golf ball that ends up in the gator's mouth. Sandler posted a tribute to Morris on Instagram on Wednesday. "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. The day you wouldn't come out of your trailer unless we sent in 40 heads of lettuce taught me a powerful lesson: never compromise your art. I will never forget at craft service that time when we split the Three Musketeers bar and you let me have the bigger half. But that's who you were. I know your character's decapitation in the first movie precluded your participation in the sequel, but we all appreciated the fruit basket and the hilarious note. 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. Thanks to Mr. Young for taking care of you all these years, and vaya con dios, old friend," Sandler wrote. The Colorado Gator Farm, which opened to the public in 1990, said it plans to preserve Morris' body. "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," the farm posted on Facebook on Monday. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
USA Today
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Adam Sandler pays tribute to 'Happy Gilmore' rival, late alligator costar Morris
Adam Sandler pays tribute to 'Happy Gilmore' rival, late alligator costar Morris Show Caption Hide Caption 'Happy Gilmore 2' has been confirmed by Netflix Netflix has confirmed "Happy Gilmore 2" is in the works, with Adam Sandler set to reprise his role as the titular golfer. Bang Showbiz Adam Sandler is paying tribute to his "Happy Gilmore" reptile costar and onscreen rival, Morris the alligator. The movie star alligator was at least 80 years old and 11 feet long when he died in his retirement home, the Colorado Gator Farm said in a Facebook post on May 11. Morris was best known for his scene-stealing role in the 1996 comedy "Happy Gilmore," where he faced off against Sandler's ill-tempered golfer after swallowing his golf ball. Even though the alligator ended up decapitated by golf club in the comedy, Sandler remembered their real moments fondly with a heartfelt May 15 Instagram post. "Goodbye, Morris. We are all gonna miss you," Sandler wrote in the poignant tribute. "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." Gilmore-less 'Happy Gilmore 2': Release date confirmed in new trailer featuring Bad Bunny Adam Sandler remembers 'Happy Gilmore' memories of Morris the alligator The post harkened back to the Vancouver set where Morris taught Sandler Hollywood life lessons. "The day you wouldn't come out of your trailer unless we sent in 40 heads of lettuce," Sandler wrote. The episode "taught me a powerful lesson: never compromise your art." On screen, Gilmore pummeled the one-eyed alligator, who had previously taken the hand of mentor Derick "Chubbs" Peterson (Carl Weathers). Gilmore eventually presented Chubbs with the alligator head at the end. Yet, Sandler, who has "Happy Gilmore 2" coming out on Netflix on July 25, recalled when the duo shared a Three Musketeers bar from the set's craft services. "And you let me have the bigger half," wrote Sandler. "But that's who you were." Will Morris the alligator appear in 'Happy Gilmore 2'? Morris was a big alligator star in his day, appearing in movies like "Interview with the Vampire," "Dr. Doolittle 2" and "Blues Brothers 2000," and beating out other leading reptiles to play the rogue killer in 1980's "Alligator" and its 1991 sequel, "Alligator II: The Mutation." After an unforgettable "Happy Gilmore" performance, Morris will not appear in "Happy Gilmore 2." "The decapitation in the first movie precluded your participation in the sequel," Sandler wrote. "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. Vaya con dios, old friend."
USA Today
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
The alligator from 'Happy Gilmore' has died; Adam Sandler offered tribute
The alligator from 'Happy Gilmore' has died; Adam Sandler offered tribute With the PGA Championship taking center stage in the golf world this week, the focus is on winning the Wanamaker Trophy, and not a gold jacket. But one of the stars of the classic golf movie "Happy Gilmore" died recently, which led to Adam Sandler paying tribute this week with a social media post in his honor. The Colorado Gators Reptile Park, an exotic animal sanctuary, confirmed the news of the retired movie star's death on Facebook, writing that they were "sad to report the passing away of our oldest alligator, Morris." Morris played a prominent role in the 1996 classic. Sandler, who co-wrote the movie, wrote the following 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. The day you wouldn't come out of your trailer unless we sent in 40 heads of lettuce taught me a powerful lesson: never compromise your art. I will never forget at craft service that time when we split the Three Musketeers bar and you let me have the bigger half. But that's who you were." More: Happy Gilmore: Here are 4 things you might not know about the movie Morris appeared in a variety of other films and television shows from 1975 to 2006, including "Dr. Dolittle 2," "Interview with the Vampire," "Eraser," "Night Court" and "Blues Brothers 2000," before retiring to the reptile park. He also made a cameo appearance with Steve Irwin on "The Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno." "While we knew this was inevitable, we are very saddened by his passing to old age," the sanctuary wrote in a May 11 Facebook post. "RIP Morris." Jay Young, who runs the Colorado Gator Farm, told USA TODAY that he noticed something was wrong when he brought him food and he didn't eat it. More: Adam Sandler's golf movie 'Happy Gilmore 2' finally has an official release date "I thought, 'Well, maybe, he's just not hungry. He ate too much the other day,'" Young said. "Two weeks ago, he was trying to eat dogs and kids through the fence. He was fine a couple weeks ago." Young stepped into his closure to check on him and when Morris didn't attack him, which was not like him at all, he attempted to force-feed him. But Morris swam toward the other side of the pond and spit it up. "A lot of the times, it's like, 'Oh, we could have done this differently or sooner.' In this case, I don't think there's anything we could have done differently," Young said. "It's said, but it's not as tragic." The Colorado Gator Farm revealed May 12 that Morris would be taxidermied "so that he can continue to scare children for years to come." USA TODAY reporter Amaris Encinas contributed to this report.
