E.T. the walrus coming back to Point Defiance Zoo as statue. See him in September

E.T. the walrus dazzled zoo visitors for decades with his splashy tricks and fascinating sounds. Now, his likeness will greet zoo visitors at the gate for more decades to come.

A larger-than-life bronze sculpture of the beloved walrus is expected to be installed outside Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in September.

It is being poured at a foundry in Oklahoma after Matthew Gray Palmer, an artist from the San Juan Islands, designed the statue of E.T. waving.

Palmer used a photograph of E.T and also sat with the Tacoma zoo’s three Pacific walruses – Joan, Basilla and Kulu – to study their movements.

The Zoo Society raised about $100,000 to pay for the bulk of the sculpture and installation costs. The remaining $48,500 was paid for through Metro Parks Tacoma’s public art program and the zoo’s operating budget.

“E.T. was a well-loved member of our community who delighted and inspired us for over three decades,” Larry Norvell, executive director of The Zoo Society, told The News Tribune in November. “We are pleased to lead this effort to fund a sculpture celebrating E.T.’s life and his contribution to our community.”

E.T. came to Tacoma in 1982 after being orphaned on Alaska's Prudhoe Bay. He grew into the most popular creature at Point Defiance Zoo, waving at visitors from billboards and his home in Rocky Shores.

He won many hearts by waving his flippers and making a range of sounds from thrumming like a bell to whistling.

The 4,000-pound walrus was 33 when he died in 2015 after not waking up from a surgery to drain an abscess. E.T. suffered from arthritis and other health problems.

An installation date for the sculpture has not yet been set. However, a desk-topped size model can be previewed from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday at Metro Parks Tacoma headquarters, 4702 S. 19th St.

Tacoma News Tribune