Petulia was a walrus at the Marineland zoo in California.[1] Ben Burtt used her vocalizations as a basis for Chewbacca's voice, alongside those of the bears Pooh[1] and Tarik.[2]
A blog post by Tim Veekhoven and Mark Newbold on StarWars.com, "Drawing from the Present: Familiar Creatures in a Galaxy Far, Far Away," mentions that Ponda Baba's voice was based on that of a walrus, although they were unsure if he too was voiced by Petula.[2]
Sources[]
- The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film
- The Sounds of Star Wars
Drawing from the Present: Familiar Creatures in a Galaxy Far, Far Away on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)- Star Wars in 100 Scenes
"Chewbacca: How to Work the Wookiee Look" — Star Wars Insider 201
