PRAGUE: Czech animator Zdenek Miler, who created the most beloved Czech cartoon character the Little Mole (Krtek), has died at the age of 90. Miler was born in Kladno and went to work for the Bata cartoon studio in Zlin, founded by the Czech shoe manufacturer, after graduating from the Prague Academy of Arts.

Miler said he came up with the idea of the mole as a unique cartoon character when he stumbled over a mole hill while walking in the woods.  Of the 70 films made by Miler, the Little Mole was featured in some 50 animated films. The first, How the Little Mole Got His Trousers, appeared in 1957 and was immediately successful. Miler was twice awarded at the Venice Film Festival, in 1960 and 1966, and received the 2011 Audience Award at the Zlin Film Festival. The Little Mole was a staple of the children's evening cartoon series broadcast on the state television in Czechoslovakia. 

Miler's career spanned more than 50 years, with his first film completed in 1948 and his last credit in 2002.

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