The Geico Gecko (lizard) of commercial auto insurance fame has passed away. Apparently, a fellow actor became violently distraught over being upstaged by the green lizard and attacked. 

Many on-lookers initially didn’t recognize the attack for what it was.  This all took place during a scene where the Geico Lizard was supposed to be picked up by the scruff (skin) of his neck in a fashion common for kittens and puppies.

Filming for the first scenes or commercial episodes featuring the lizard looking for motherly love in all the wrong places went just fine with an actual dog and an actual trained cat.  Unfortunately, a hawk with a bit of a temper and a beak to grind against Geico relating to a hit and run windshield incident, ended in disaster for the lizard and a meager meal for the bird,when the bird, promptly snapped the neck of the famous lizard with the annoying accent.

Geico Lizard

Born: 1999

Died: December 3, 2008

The GEICO Gecko leaves behind a wife, 4 kids, and 43 tails of various lengths.

News Source: Some viral email that a friend sent me.  I believe it is true, but I could be mistaken. He normally sends me funny pornographic images.

UPDATE

It has come to our attention that the death of the GEICO Gecko is indeed inaccurate as we guessed above.  Apparently, this is not the first time that reports of the death of the Gecko from GEICO have been exagerated.  Below is a news report from 2006, accusing the AFLAC Duck of shooting the Gecko Geico.

For the record the AFLAC duck was cleared of the shooting (which was not fatal for the Gecko Geico but did remove his 38th tail as a casualty).  The AFLAC duck was cleared as he does not have an opposable thumb, which is necessary to pull the trigger on a gun.