Animal Movie Star Bart the Bear II Dies at 21 Years Old

Bart the Bear II
Bart the Bear II

Courtesy The Vital Ground Foundation

Hollywood lost an icon this week.

In a Thanksgiving Day post shared by CNN, Vital Ground Foundation founders Doug and Lynne Seus wrote that Bart the Bear II, a grizzly who appeared in countless films and TV shows, died of natural causes. He was 21.

"Bart the Bear II's spirit lifted silently and naturally from the banks of Daniel Creek, Utah, this week," the Seus family wrote, expanding on the animal's story. "Bart and his sister, Honey Bump, were orphaned in the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska. Their mother had been killed by a hunter. A dedicated bear biologist followed the trail of boot tracks and blood to find two terrified and starving cubs. Instead of becoming tiny bear skeletons in a high, hidden den, they arrived to the arms of the Seus Family, just as the center of our clan, Big Bart the Bear, was dying of cancer."

Big Bart was also a film star, appearing in movies like The Bear, White Fang and Legends of the Fall, per his IMDb page.

Bart the Bear II
Bart the Bear II

Barcroft Media via Getty Images Bart the Bear II with Doug Seus, circa 2009

Bart II was first nicknamed Little Bart, the Seus family wrote, "but when he reached 1,400 pounds he became simply Bart the Bear II." He starred in movies like Dr. Dolittle 2, An Unfinished Life, Into the West and Evan Almighty, as well as on the HBO hit Game of Thrones.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Additionally, he served as an ambassador for the Vital Ground Foundation, "a land trust focused on conserving grizzly bear habitat, preserving genetic corridors for all wildlife and botanicals and ... [preventing] conflicts between bears and people," per the Seus family post.

RELATED: 3 Bear Cubs Are Recovering After Being Burned in Washington Wildfire That Killed Their Mothers

The Seus family wrote they were "forever humbled and grateful to have shared our lives with this noble grizzly," adding, "Fly free, Beloved Giant."

Bart II is survived by his sister, Honey Bump, his friend Tank the Bear and members of his human family.