RIP Steve Irwin

[Risker]

Television personality and environmentalist Steve Irwin has died after being stung by a stingray while filming off north Queensland.

Known worldwide as the Crocodile Hunter, the 44-year-old was famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchcry "Crikey!''.

The Queensland Police Service issued a statement saying Mr Irwin collapsed after being stung at Batt Reef, Low Isles off Port Douglas about 11am. He had been filming a documentary.

"Steve was hit by a stingray in the chest,'' said local diving operator Steve Edmondson, whose Poseidon boats were out on the Great Barrier Reef when the accident occured.

"He probably died from a cardiac arrest from the injury,'' he said.

Police said after he stingray attack, Irwin's crew called for medical treatment at 11am and the Queensland Rescue Helicopter responded with a doctor and paramedic on board.

Puncture wound

Mr Irwin had a puncture wound to the left side of his chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said Mr Irwin's family has been advised and Irwin's body was being flown to Cairns.

It is believed his American-born wife Terri was trekking on Cradle Mountain in Tasmania when the incident happened.

Police in Tasmania say she has been informed of her husband's death.

The Irwins have two children, an eight-year-old a daughter, Bindi Sue, and a three-year-old son, Robert Clarence, usually known as Bob.

When asked if he had ever heard of anyone dying from a stingray barb Matthew Hurley, general manager of Quicksilver Group, whose company has taken tours to Low Isles for 26 years, said: "No, definitely not."

"We've never heard of or been involved with anything like that."

Ross Coleman, acting director at at University of Sydney Institute of Marine Science, told smh.com.au it was "quite rare" for someone to die from contact with a stingray and he couldn't recall hearing of another incident.

Stingrays were "dangerous if provoked", he said.

"As a recreational diving instructor you hear of people getting injured by standing on them ... but they rarely die."

Trouble over croc feeding with son

Irwin won a global following for his daredevil antics but also triggered outrage in 2004 by holding his then one-month-old baby while feeding a snapping crocodile at his Australian zoo.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who used a photograph of his family at Australia Zoo for his official Christmas card last year, hailed Mr Irwin for his work in promoting Australia.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/...222051512.html

[Daffy]

[eve]

I'm really sad about his death, especially at a young age, and with a young wife and two little kiddies. He once did an interview with the Vegan Voice, and I must say that his love of animals was obvious, even though he did have a zoo - but not an ordinary zoo.

Here's the news from abc on-line http://www.abc.net.au/news/
Steve Irwin dead - The naturalist and television star Steve Irwin has died in a diving accident in far north Queensland. He was 44. Police say he was stung through the heart by a stingray while diving off Port Douglas.

He was filming a documentary when the accident occurred around midday AEST near the Low Isles. A helicopter arrived with paramedics on board to try to resuscitate him, but it was too late.

[claireyveg]

It is a terrible loss, he was a very passionate animal lover and undoubtedly an australian icon. As much as most Australians loathed some of his OTTness and shameful actions (baby in croc enclosure 2004) he was still a great Aussie and a very relateable character.

One of the saddest parts of this story is that most of the general public acctually found out before his wife, as she is currently trekking on cradle mountain and only was informed at about 4.00pm today, can you imagine how terrible this would be for her and her two poor children, i mean he really has such a risky job, i mean the up-side of this tragedy is that he was killed doing something he loved...

[veggiewoman]

I have just seeen this on the bbc news, it is such a tragedy, hhe was so passionate about the animals. Why did he have to go , it's so unfair.
R.I.P Steve Urwin

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5311298.stm


'Crocodile Hunter' Irwin killed

[SIZE=2] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]The naturalist worked to protect Australian wildlife [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Irwin with tiger cubs [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Australian environmentalist and television personality Steve Irwin has died during a diving accident. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Mr Irwin, 44, was killed by a stingray barb to the chest while he was filming an underwater documentary in Queensland's Great Barrier Reef. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Paramedics from the nearby city of Cairns rushed to treat him at the scene but were unable to save him. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Mr Irwin was known for his television show The Crocodile Hunter and his work with native Australian wildlife. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Police in Queensland confirmed the naturalist's death and said his family had been notified. Mr Irwin was married with two young children. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]"It is believed that Mr Irwin collapsed after being stung by a stingray at Batt Reef off Port Douglas at about 11:00 am (0100 GMT)," a police statement quoted by AFP news agency said. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]"His crew called for medical treatment and the Queensland medical helicopter responded, however Mr Irwin had died." [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Documentaries [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Mr Irwin had built up what was a small reptile park in Queensland into what is now Australia Zoo, a major centre for Australian wildlife. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] Mr Irwin's documentaries were shown around the world[/SIZE]


[SIZE=2]He was famous for handling dangerous creatures such as crocodiles, snakes and spiders, and his documentaries on his work with crocodiles drew a worldwide audience. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]But he also courted controversy with a series of stunts. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]He sparked outrage across Australia after cradling his one-month-old son a metre away from the reptile during a show at Australia Zoo. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]A probe was also launched to investigate whether Mr Irwin and his team interacted too closely with penguins and whales while filming in the Antarctic, but no action was taken. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Foreign Minister Alexander Downer praised Mr Irwin for his work to promote Australia. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]"The minister knew him, was fond of him and was very, very appreciative of all the work he'd done to promote Australia overseas," Mr Downer's spokesman said. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=2]Use the form below to send us your tributes to Steve Irwin, some of which may be published. [/SIZE]



[SIZE=2]I was a fan of Steve Irwin's documentaries and the news of his death came as a shock: my brother and I had seen him on TV only a few days ago. I admire what Mr Irwin did for the promotion of Australia abroad, and for the protection of wildlife overall. He surely will be missed, and my condolences and very best wishes go out to his family and to his friends.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Alex Jumpsen, Calgary, Canada [/SIZE]


[SIZE=2]I'm an expat living in Sydney and the whole of our office is in shock. Most of the news sites in Australia have been struggling to cope this afternoon as word of his death has spread. Surely testament to a bloke who was a good old Aussie character. He will be sadly missed.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Anthony, Sydney NSW [/SIZE]


[SIZE=2]This world will miss a brave man like Steve. My sympathy with the family and all the people associated with him. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Ali Hassanali, Sheffield, UK [/SIZE]


[SIZE=2]He typified the Australian spirit, good an ya.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Alan Stewart, Dumfries, Scotland [/SIZE]


[SIZE=2]What kind of man was Steve Irwin? He stopped Australian Government plans to allow rich tourists into the Northern Territory to kill crocodiles for sport. He brought the beauty of nature back to millions through his documentaries. And he showed that if you love doing something, then you should put all your passion into doing it. Nothing less. He was a nice man. A was a kind man. Perhaps, the last real man... gone.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Alan, Brisbane, Australia [/SIZE]


[SIZE=2]Total shock, I will miss his energy on tv, I wish his family all the best.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]alec grimshaw, cambridge [/SIZE]


[SIZE=2]Whilst Steve Irwin is probably better known for his antics, the man is fundamentally someone who deeply cared about the environment, and this world. This is a sad loss for the planet, and hopefully people will remember the dedication and love he put in to his work.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Aled Moses, Singapore [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]It's really tragic to know that Steve Irwin will no longer be there to bring us thrilling documentaries. I'm sure he will be remembered and appreciated worldwide for his work.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Aditi, Singapore [/SIZE]


[SIZE=2]We are really really sorry for this tragedy. We could never imagine he could end like this doing what he loved the most and what was best at. All our thoughts are with his family[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Adrian, Suceava, Romania [/SIZE]


[SIZE=2]Steve Irwin was an inspiration for many of the younger generation. He will be sadly missed. RIP.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Andrew Fergus, Auckland, New Zealand [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]He was killed doing what he loved best, yet another informative documentary about some of the worlds most unique wildlife. I always wondered if he'd go too far and a croc would get the better of him, but it's a sad thing to see a great guy go. At least he went out at the top.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Alex, Northampton, UK [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Very sad to hear that a good-hearted man has died. He was very well liked by everyone and brought a better understanding of wild animals to the world. For some reason, I feel a strange personal feeling of loss at his death.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Ali Qazi, El Dorado Hills, Calif. USA [/SIZE]


[SIZE=2]It's really shock news to hear. Steve Irwin sudden death is a big loss to the people of the whole World.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Amogh.B, Bangalore, INDIA [/SIZE]


[SIZE=2]As an active member of PETA, I praise Steve Irwin in his efforts to save wildlife. He was an outstanding, intuitive, brave man and will be sadly missed. He has a wonderful wife and two lovely children left behind, but he was living the life he loved and made a difference. he was at times controversial, but changed the way many things are done, so we thank him for that.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]amelia bentley, vancouver, Canada [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]You will be sadly missed. You brought wildlife into our households, not by some stuffy old presenter, but through great humour and fun. My kids will miss you. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Andre van Straaten, East London, South Africa [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Nice and lovely guy, I'll miss you.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Andrea Fattinnanzi, Rome Italy [/SIZE]


[SIZE=2]It is really sad to hear about the death of Mr. Irwin. He proved his mettle while filming the famous show "The Crocodile Hunter". With his peculiar charm and sense of duty to wild life, he attracted many a crowds. Wildlife would not be the same without him.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Ahmad R. Shahid, Islamabad / Pakistan [/SIZE]


[SIZE=2]This is a great loss to all, my deepest heartfelt wishes go out to Steve's family. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Andrew A'Barrow, Poole Dorset [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]An amazing man, special. my condolences to his family[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Angus Macdonald, Cardiff UK [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]My condolences to Steve's family over such a huge loss. Steve's videos were extremely beneficial for use in teaching students about different animals and places around the world. He made learning fun for my students and many others. He will be sorely missed. He was a trailblazer and opened the world to many people. Thanks Steve !!![/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Austin Sloan, Spokane, Washington [/SIZE]


[SIZE=2]It is sad to read about the untimely demise of Steve Irwin. He was a person who brought awareness from a true conservationist's point about the diversity and importance of the various creatures this planet supports to a whole generation. Deep felt condolences to his family and the people dear to him. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]arun, memphis, Tn [/SIZE]


[SIZE=2]Name[/SIZE]

[Rogue]

how terribly tragic... i am having trouble coping with the shock, i wasn't even a huge fan or anything....

[Vegan cat]

OMG I couldnt believe it when I saw your post

how sad

[Rogue]

i know... he got stung by a stingray.. ir pierced him through the heart

[aubergine]

To be honest I never liked his programs. I don't think it was fair to harass the animals like that.

I wouldn't have wished him dead, but I do think he sent out the wrong message about environmentalism.

[Vegan cat]

I wasnt a big fan really either but he was such a colourful character.

Only 44 aswell

[Klutz]

I enjoyed him because he was so enthusiastic about everything: like kindergarten kid on a sugar high on a field trip. But, that he was a hypocrite...that I didn't like. Still, I'll admit to getting teary eyed when I came home and turned on the computer to hear that he had died.

[Pob]

Chris Packham was talking about him on Radio 4 this morning and he summed up my feelings quite nicely. Steve did a lot to promote wildlife to the masses which is fantastic, but he didn't do it in a way that should be encouraged. He aggravated animals to show their dangerous side, which isn't really fair on the animals concerned.

Sad to see him go, though, but there was a certain inevitability about it, really.

[claireyveg]

there is already another thread on this topic started earlier today, is is extremly sad, esspecially considering he has two very young children and a american wife who moved to Australia to be with him, he always seemed very commited and loving to his family, and very passionate about animal welfare and conservation.

[Holly78]

He once did an interview with the Vegan Voice, and I must say that his love of animals was obvious, even though he did have a zoo - but not an ordinary zoo.

What sort of zoo was it Eve? I didn't like the way he 'played' with animals to amuse the crowds - which seems very regular zoo-like - but I understand he did a lot of conservation work? Does that mean he basically looked after the crocs temporarily for health reasons/to increase numbers but then released them back into the wild?

I have been to North Queensland and was lucky enough to see crocodiles in the wild - they are fascinating creatures and deserve our respect.

[eco]

Sad news, but not really surprising as he did take a lot of risks. RIP Steve

[dresdown]

Crocodile Hunter' killed by stingray
11.11, Mon Sep 4 2006

Crocodile expert Steve Irwin has been killed by a stingray while diving off the Northeast coast of Australia

The fish pierced the chest of TV's famous khaki-clad 'Crocodile Hunter', while the 44-year-old was filming an underwater documentary off Port Douglas in northern Queensland

A helicopter rushed paramedics to nearby Low Isles, about 1,260 miles north of Brisbane, where Irwin was taken for treatment, but he was dead before they arrived, police said

Local diving operator Steve Edmonson, whose boats were out on the Great Barrier Reef when the accident happened, said: "Steve was hit by a stingray in the chest - he probably died from a cardiac arrest from the injury

In 2004, Irwin caused outrage by holding his then one-month-old baby in front of a hungry crocodile. His TV series ended after he was criticised over the incident and also for allegedly disturbing whales, seals and penguins while filming in Antarctica

Stingrays have sometimes been called the "pussycats" of the sea because of their generally non-aggressive nature. However, when threatened, they can whip up their toxic tails in an instance, causing excruciating pain to humans

Their barbed stinger grows from the tail like a fingernail and is covered with a toxic venom but deaths from contact with the barb are rare

The largest species of stingray can grow to about 13ft (4m) in length or width and their tails are often twice as long as their bodies

September 4, 2006 – Irwin dies after being struck in the chest by a stingray barb while filming an underwater documentary in the Great Barrier Reef, off the Low Isles near Port Douglas, in far north Queensland

R.I.P

04/09/06

[Stu]

Wow, I'm shocked. He was a real character.

[xwitchymagicx]

[Gorilla]

i was gutted when i heard this - i may not agree with everything he did but he seemed like a great bloke.

[Geoff]

He also fully funded the Wildlife Protection Association of Australia
(http://www.wildlifeprotectaust.org.au/), an excellent wildlife hospital and was buying large tracts of land to be set aside as wildlife habitat.

It's a shame that he never came to understand the connection between the meat centred diet and loss of wildlife habitat (over 90% of land cleared in Qld is for grazing animals).

[Haniska]

[Kiran]

I am saddend by this news.

I however feel that he often pulled off unwanted stunts with wild-animals. For example mud-wrestling with a wild boar in the name of relocation is not wise, in my opinion.

Cool guy though. RIP!

[Monday]

I was sent this as a member of another forum. It is sad that he has died at such a young age and left behind a wife and 2 young kids.

Monday xx

'That sort of self-delusion is what it takes to be a real Aussie
larrikin'

Germaine Greer
Tuesday September 5, 2006
The Guardian


The world mourns. World-famous wildlife warrior Steve Irwin has died a
hero, doing the thing he loved, filming a sequence for a new TV series.
He was supposed to have been making a new documentary to have been
called Ocean's Deadliest, but, when filming was held up by bad weather,
he decided to "go off and shoot a few segments" for his eight-year-old
daughter's upcoming TV series, "just stuff on the reef and little
animals". His manager John Stainton "just said fine, anything that would
keep him moving and keep his adrenaline going". Evidently it's
Stainton's job to keep Irwin pumped larger than life, shouting "Crikey!"
and punching the air.

Article continues
Irwin was the real Crocodile Dundee, a great Australian, an ambassador
for wildlife, a global phenomenon, a superhuman generator of
merchandise, books, interactive video-games and action figures. The only
creatures he couldn't dominate were parrots. A parrot once did its best
to rip his nose off his face. Parrots are a lot smarter than crocodiles.
What seems to have happened on Batt Reef is that Irwin and a cameraman
went off in a little dinghy to see what they could find. What they found
were stingrays. You can just imagine Irwin yelling: "Just look at these
beauties! Crikey! With those barbs a stingray can kill a horse!" (Yes,
Steve, but a stingray doesn't want to kill a horse. It eats crustaceans,
for God's sake.) All Australian children know about stingrays. We are
now being told that only three people have ever been killed by
Australian stingrays. One of them must have been the chap who bought it
60 years ago in Brighton Baths where my school used to go on swimming
days. Port Philip Bay was famous for stingrays, which are fine as long
as you can see them, but they do what most Dasyatidae do, which is bury
themselves in the sand or mud with only their eyes sticking out. What
you don't want to do with a stingray is stand on it. The lashing
response of the tail is automatic; the barb is coated with a bacterial
slime as deadly as rotten oyster toxin.


As a Melbourne boy, Irwin should have had a healthy respect for
stingrays, which are actually commoner, and bigger, in southern waters
than they are near Port Douglas, where he was killed. The film-makers
maintain that the ray that took Irwin out was a "bull ray", or Dasyatis
brevicaudata, but this is not usually found as far north as Port
Douglas. Marine biologist Dr Meredith Peach has been quoted as saying,
"It's really quite unusual for divers to be stung unless they are
grappling with the animal and, knowing Steve Irwin, perhaps that may
have been the case." Not much sympathy there then.

The only time Irwin ever seemed less than entirely lovable to his fans
(as distinct from zoologists) was when he went into the Australia Zoo
crocodile enclosure with his month-old baby son in one hand and a dead
chicken in the other. For a second you didn't know which one he meant to
feed to the crocodile. If the crocodile had been less depressed it might
have made the decision for him. As the catatonic beast obediently downed
its tiny snack, Irwin walked his baby on the grass, not something that
paediatricians recommend for rubbery baby legs even when there isn't a
stir-crazy carnivore a few feet away. The adoring world was momentarily
appalled. They called it child abuse. The whole spectacle was revolting.
The crocodile would rather have been anywhere else and the chicken had
had a grim life too, but that's entertainment at Australia Zoo.

Irwin's response to the sudden outburst of criticism was bizarre. He
believed that he had the crocodile under control. But he could have
fallen over, suggested an interviewer. He admitted that was possible,
but only if a meteor had hit the earth and caused an earthquake of 6.6
on the Richter scale. That sort of self-delusion is what it takes to be
a "real Aussie larrikin".

What Irwin never seemed to understand was that animals need space. The
one lesson any conservationist must labour to drive home is that habitat
loss is the principal cause of species loss. There was no habitat, no
matter how fragile or finely balanced, that Irwin hesitated to barge
into, trumpeting his wonder and amazement to the skies. There was not an
animal he was not prepared to manhandle. Every creature he brandished at
the camera was in distress. Every snake badgered by Irwin was at a huge
disadvantage, with only a single possible reaction to its terrifying
situation, which was to strike. Easy enough to avoid, if you know what's
coming. Even my cat knew that much. Those of us who live with snakes, as
I do with no fewer than 12 front-fanged venomous snake species in my bit
of Queensland rainforest, know that they will get out of our way if we
leave them a choice. Some snakes are described as aggressive, but, if
you're a snake, unprovoked aggression doesn't make sense. Snakes on a
plane only want to get off. But Irwin was an entertainer, a 21st-century
version of a lion-tamer, with crocodiles instead of lions.

In 2004, Irwin was accused of illegally encroaching on the space of
penguins, seals and humpback whales in Antarctica, where he was filming
a documentary called Ice Breaker. An investigation by the Australian
Environmental Department resulted in no action being taken, which is not
surprising seeing that John Howard, the prime minister, made sure that
Irwin was one of the guests invited to a "gala barbecue" for George Bush
a few months before. Howard is now Irwin's chief mourner, which is only
fair, seeing that Irwin announced that Howard is the greatest leader the
world has ever seen.

The animal world has finally taken its revenge on Irwin, but probably
not before a whole generation of kids in shorts seven sizes too small
has learned to shout in the ears of animals with hearing 10 times more
acute than theirs, determined to become millionaire animal-loving
zoo-owners in their turn.

[Roxy]

Yes it is sad and it's been all over the news here in Canada and the States. I was shocked yesterday morning, when I had heard what happened. He did a lot for animals and people's awareness of wildlife and the environment. However, I have to say that I'm not suprised at the way that he died. He lived on the edge and took a lot of risks - but at least he died doing something he loved.

[rantipole]

As a reptile lover, I have very mixed feelings about Steve Irwin. Yes, he brought these interesting creatures into the homes of millions and that's a good thing. He worked for conservation. He loved animals. However, by highlighting how dangerous and deadly snakes and crocs are, he perpetuated the stereotypes people have of these too-often hated and feared creatures. They have enough bad press, so they don't need a professional handler overstating how dangerous they are. I also think the way he handled venomous snakes was dangerous and irresponsible.

Still, it's sad that he died and tragic for his family.

Cheers,
rantt

[Del]

I was so saddened and shocked all day yesterday, I loved this guy and all that he brought to this world. The loss is massive for so many people let alone his family, friends and the good work that he did. What a sad time.

[forthebirds]

I agree with The Guardian article posted above. I was not a fan. I feel he did more harm by reinforcing the stereotype of "deadly, dangerous creatures" and I did not appreciate how he harassed animals for dramatic effect. I feel bad for his family though.

[IndigoSea]

Like him or not, he did more for conservation than a lot of people in this day and age have ever done or will ever do. He brought conservation into the homes and lives of millions of regular people around the world, and for that alone we should all be thankful, and for that alone we should all be very sorry for this loss.

[eve]

I agree with you, IndigoSea, it is too easy to write him off for things that some people didn't like. But he was never into soft fluffy pets, he wanted people to see that there's nothing wrong with crocs, spiders, and snakes, etc. When someone mentioned crocodile dundee, he said that that character shot crocs, but he loves them to bits, and he hugs them and kisses them. I might say that he put plenty of his own earnings into buying quite large tracts of bush, to keep the wild life happy there, without human interference.
I really miss him.

[forthebirds]

I prefer Jane Goodall types, but to each their own.

[GoatBoy]

he may of been called a crocodile hunter, but he did not kill them. he was very humane, before he was a celebrity he earned a living removing snakes from homes, he just picked them up and re-homed them. thats better than laying poison or a trap.

here is a quote from one of my favourite books K-PAX II

"Hunting is not a sport. unless you can out run a rabbit or wrestle a bear to submission, it is not a sport"

he used nothing but his bare hands.

he was a subject of parody all thorugh his life, he would of been the first person to tell you that. and it will accelerate now that he is dead.

I think he was a great man, you can't help but like him.

[aubergine]

What Irwin never seemed to understand was that animals need space. The one lesson any conservationist must labour to drive home is that habitat loss is the principal cause of species loss. There was no habitat, no matter how fragile or finely balanced, that Irwin hesitated to barge
into, trumpeting his wonder and amazement to the skies. There was not an
animal he was not prepared to manhandle. Every creature he brandished at
the camera was in distress. Every snake badgered by Irwin was at a huge
disadvantage, with only a single possible reaction to its terrifying
situation, which was to strike.

I love Germaine Greer.

[LittleNellColumbia]

.

[eggplant]

To be honest I never liked his programs. I don't think it was fair to harass the animals like that.

I wouldn't have wished him dead, but I do think he sent out the wrong message about environmentalism.

This is how I feel too. I feel badly for his family, but I wasn't a fan.

[Pascale]

I really miss Steve Irwin. I don't know how an animal lover could not at least greatly respect him for all that he did for wildlife conservation. Some of you don't seem to like him for the way that he acted with animals, but if he hadn't been that way, he wouldn't have been so wildly popular and wouldn't have been able to make half the difference that he did. Also, he obviously really understood the animals and they understood him, or else he would have wound up dead much earlier. It was way too early for him to die, and he will be sorely missed.

[nibelwolf]

I was really shocked to hear that he had been killed as well. Even now it's very hard to stomach, and I don't like to think about it.

It's strange, though I wasn't a huge fan (I watched his show often but not obsessively), it's so disturbing to think of him as dead, or to think about how he died. I mean, I knew it was bound to happen eventually. He said himself that he would die happy if he died on camera, doing what he loves most. But it's still a shock.

I think people are condemning Irwin a lot for things that are blown out of proportion, and I think they're downplaying a lot of what he did for animals, wildlife and the environment.

Yes, he harrassed the animals for maybe five minutes out of their lives. Yes, he kept a zoo. Yes, he held animals into the light of the camera.

But you know what? I know at least three or four people who, through Steve Irwin's show, have lost their disgust and dislike for snakes, crocodiles and other reptiles (though they're, like me, still squeamish about spiders, no matter how often he showed one to the camera ). People who used to not as much as think twice about a snake run over by a car are now fascinated by these creatures. People who never watched documentaries are now hooked onto Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel. People who never cared about crocodiles are now disgusted by people who kill them. People who didn't care about wildlife before are now fascinated by it, and hate poachers. And if I know just a tiny amount of people who were so affected by his show, imagine how many others might have had the same change of heart.

I don't think he portrayed these animals as excessively dangerous, since they aren't. He just didn't portray them as excessively harmless, which crocodiles and poisonous snakes aren't, either. Everytime a snake got irritated and tried to bite him, he would always tell the camera that it's natural for the snake to act this way because he had disturbed it, and if you leave these animals alone, they will not harm you. How is that a bad message? How does that put reptiles in a bad light? Some of the crocodiles he presented were docile, others were aggressive, but the truth is, this is how it works, some wild animals are more aggressive than others, even others of their own species.

I think that by basically saying, "see, reptiles are beautiful, but don't pick them up, they'll get angry and might try to bite you, like so" he was sending a very good message to viewers.

He may have wrestled these animals, but have you ever really seen the show? He only wrestled crocodiles when he had to relocate them, and the reason he wrestled them is because the only other way to relocate a crocodile is to sedate it, which often kills the animal, which he didn't want to happen. He was upset everytime one of the crocodiles got hurt even in the slightest during the process, I remember an episode where one just scraped the top of its nose and he was glum about it all day, feeling guilty.

Finally, while I'm a bit disappointed that he wasn't vegan, he was against killing of wildlife for any reason, even pest control (especially when it comes to kangaroos) and he said that we don't have to kill animals for clothes since fake fur and fake leather do just fine. It's a start, isn't it?

Also, his conservation work and his work to defend Australia's wildlife was really commendable.

I'm not saying he's without flaws - for instance I think he should've been vegan, and he shouldn't have taken his child into a crocodile enclosure, no matter how safe the kid is in his arm - but people are basically putting an environmentalist and defender of wildlife down for daring to pick up snakes for a TV program and holding crocodiles to the ground instead of drugging them. It's ridiculous.

If you want to look for people to accuse of exploiting and mishandling animals, how about actual poachers, or those Australian politicians who are trying to declare genocide on kangaroos?

In a perfect world, people are fascinated by wildlife, and are respectful of it, in a perfect world, crocodiles don't have to be relocated, in a perfect world, people aren't disgusted by an animal just because it isn't cute and fluffy, in a perfect world, everyone's an environmentalist, and everyone wants to preserve habitat. But this isn't a perfect world, and Irwin just tried his best to do his part.

RIP, Steve.

(Wow, and all this coming from someone who's not even obsessed with the guy :P)

[nibelwolf]

And Pascale just said everything I wanted to, except much more effectively and briefly.

[meggymaggoo]

A friend was once watching one of his programmes, I said I thought he harrassed the animals, then to my amazement and utter joy - Steve kissed the snake he'd been holding and thanked him/her for educating us, before he let her/him go.

Rest In Peace Steve - you did a lot of good.

[veggiewoman]

this is soo moving , its had me in tears watching it , but also smiling at remembering him at his best.

http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site...kin_id=0&large

[veggiegirl3]

I was But you know what? I know at least three or four people who, through Steve Irwin's show, have lost their disgust and dislike for snakes, crocodiles and other reptiles (though they're, like me, still squeamish about spiders, no matter how often he showed one to the camera ).

I saw his show a few times. I've never liked reptiles very much, but his show was interesting to me...it made me think about how fascinating reptiles really could be. (I still wouldn't be thrilled to run into one though..) I think he showed the world that "scary" creatures are actually fascinating.

I feel bad for his wife and children. It's very sad.

[forthebirds]

Maybe it's because I didn't pay much attention to him that I had no idea that he was involved in any kind of conservation. And perhaps because what I did see was him being referred to as "The Crocodile Hunter" (which has a certain connotation) and him always antagonizing animals in their environment - I found it to be a huge turnoff. I don't know if that was the general public impression he left - one that made me uninterested in persuing any more info on him - but in hindsight that certainly is the image I had.

Since his death, I've done some reading on him and have some additional problems with some of his approaches:

Apparently, contrary to what someone posted here, he would trap crocs for people in exchange for letting him keep them for his zoo, not relocating them.

He defended preserving wildlife - and was against using them for for meat and fur - because, he said, we have "domestic" animals for that. So it seems he viewed some animals as worthy of having rights and being accorded protection, at the expense of others.

Also, he promoted places like "Sea World" as being valuable for people to see dolphins (his example) in person, so that they would fall in love with them and want to protect them in the wild. Not sure where he thought these captive creatures came from or considered what kind of horrible existence they have in these theme parks. But I am totally in disagreement that humans need to see wild animals in captivity in order to be convinced they deserve consideration. That is the argument most zoos give that somehow without captive animals on view they can't engage in conservation - and I don't buy it. If anything, I think it reinforces that we have some right to dominate and cage them and exploit them for entertainment.

As far as I'm concerned, the only reason a wild animal should be in captivity is if it is being rehabilitated for release, is unable to survive independently in the wild or, until breeding stops altogether, is at a sanctuary.

[nibelwolf]

forthebirds:

Thanks for your post, I certainly didn't know he, at times, would keep some crocodiles for his zoo instead of releasing them into the wild, and that he supported Sea World type places. This and his stubborn opinions when it comes to using domestic animals for food, that I only found out about after he passed away, are obviously very disappointing to me and I don't have the same love for him anymore as I did when I wrote my reply to this thread defending him.

However, you did get one thing wrong, he didn't support using animals for fur, or even leather. His exact quote was:

"We have domesticated livestock raised for consumption and perfectly good fake leather and fur, so why must we kill wild animals to satisfy the macabre taste of some rich person?"

See? "fake leather and fur". I won't defend the rest of the quote, of course, there's no excuse for defending the lives of wild animals but not of domestic ones.

The sad part is that too many people calling themselves "animal lovers" feel the same way, for instance, we have a wildlife rehabilitator in this area who, although she's been to livestock auctions, although she knows the suffering of all these animals, she is still a nonvegan (she used to be vegetarian but because her husband isn't, she says she just can't be bothered to cook seperately), though her heart breaks everytime a wild animal in her care dies. I just don't get it, and to some degree it makes me furious.

A part of me wishes I could've remained ignorant of this side of Steve, but then again, as a vegan, I know how dangerous ignorance can be.

I still feel bad for him, though, I can't help it.

[forthebirds]

See? "fake leather and fur". I won't defend the rest of the quote, of course, there's no excuse for defending the lives of wild animals but not of domestic ones.

The sad part is that too many people calling themselves "animal lovers" feel the same way

Oops, guess I read it as fake leather but real fur? Or missed the word fake? Besides, leather comes primarily from animals raised for "consumption" so not sure of his point there?? Anyway, it was the part about being ok to kill domestic animals that got my attention.

And yes, it is remarkable that animal welfarists don't see the connection between eating some animals while rescuing/protecting others. These are the folks we need to focus on most, it seems. As they may already be in a place where veganism is the next logical step. At least I like to think that's the case...

I don't want to take anything away from what Steve Irwin may have accomplished for conservation, but I guess I am yet to be convinced that his approach produced any real changes. Or did it just reinforce human fears of crocs and snakes? Although it has been said he remarked that "humans are the ocean's deadliest creatures" in regards to his final project, that the project was entitled "Ocean's Deadliest" once again implies that we have something to fear and defend against, as opposed to appreciate and leave in peace. That title just rubs me in all the wrong ways.

[nibelwolf]

Besides, leather comes primarily from animals raised for "consumption" so not sure of his point there?? Anyway, it was the part about being ok to kill domestic animals that got my attention.

I honestly don't know anything about leather production beyond what I've seen in Earthlings, where they said that actually leather basically never comes from the beef cattle? I'm not sure about it, I should look into it.

And yeah, it's never okay to advocate the exploitation of domestic animals

And yes, it is remarkable that animal welfarists don't see the connection between eating some animals while rescuing/protecting others. These are the folks we need to focus on most, it seems. As they may already be in a place where veganism is the next logical step. At least I like to think that's the case...

So right! Like I said, the wildlife rehabilitator in our area drives me insane. I have a particular gripe with her because she also supports the annual seal hunt. I just don't get it. How can you feel so much for one wild animal and absolutely nothing for another? The woman is a complete hypocrite. I can't stand lapsed vegetarians anyway.

I don't want to take anything away from what Steve Irwin may have accomplished for conservation, but I guess I am yet to be convinced that his approach produced any real changes. Or did it just reinforce human fears of crocs and snakes?

I don't think he reinforced these fears at all. He just didn't portray them as harmless, which these animals, as much as I love them, aren't. As for real changes, I don't know. Like I said, I know people who did a complete 360 and wound up loving the very animals they used to be disgusted by because they watched his program. Too bad not enough people in places of power were convinced.

What I think he succeeded with, though, is in making people feel empathy towards snakes and crocodiles, referring to them by names, and by "he" or "she" instead of "it", which is sometimes a very powerful way of showing that these are living, feeling animals. One time he compared the killing and skinning of a crocodile to the murder of a human being, because to him (and to me) there isn't a difference.

Like I said, I'm very disillusioned about him now, but I still think he did some good.

Although it has been said he remarked that "humans are the ocean's deadliest creatures" in regards to his final project, that the project was entitled "Ocean's Deadliest" once again implies that we have something to fear and defend against, as opposed to appreciate and leave in peace. That title just rubs me in all the wrong ways.

Yeah, but let's face it, titles sell. Titles are what makes people tune into programs. Unfortunately we live in a culture where violence and the "extreme" are something that people want to watch. Most of his programs used to have such titles but then wound up being much more peaceful than their titles suggested, it's a way to draw people in, and once you have them watching, you can show them the beauty of nature. Most of his programs showed viewers the wonders of the animal world, without Irwin constantly picking up the animals in question and holding them at a camera.

Whenever he did a special about "deadly creatures", about ten minutes out of fifty he'd say they were dangerous (which some animals, again, are), and the rest of the time there would be footage of the animals in their natural habitat, tending to their young, etc., and being shown in a very favourable light.

Finally, I don't think most people will ever learn to leave nature in peace, or to care for it, no matter how many nature documentaries they watch, and whether that documentary is a serious film or The Crocodile Hunter. This is why I'm getting really annoyed with my species. You can't convince people with anything.

My neighbour cries everytime when Bambi's mother dies, but she's proud that her son goes deerhunting, and eats parts of the deer he shoots. I've known people who wept during "March of the Penguins" and "Winged Migration" but still don't try to save wildlife, and would still eat a freshly shot wild duck. People need to be ready to change. Maybe that's why a few of my friends changed watching Steve Irwin's programs, because they were ready. God knows I still know even more people who'd still run over a snake on the road on purpose.

I don't think movies ever change minds so dramatically. I've never seen it happen and I don't believe it ever did, or ever will. I only wish things were that easy.

[eve]

thanks for your post nibelwolf. you say: "How can you feel so much for one wild animal and absolutely nothing for another? The woman is a complete hypocrite. I can't stand lapsed vegetarians anyway."

problem is that we can't force people to become vegan, we are only one percent of the population anyway. Even environmentalists eat meat. We can only live a vegan lifestyle ourselves. Talk to sympathetic others, but so far in all these years, none of the sympathetic others have given up their meat eating or their dairy foods. why would anyone expect steve irwin to be any different?

[LittleNellColumbia]

.

[veggiewoman]

Can we all just stop and remember something here ,

a man has died leaving behind a wife and two children.
Do we reallly need to be slagging him off like this esp at this time.
He helped raise $millions for animal charities , something none of us will prob be ever able to do.
He brought the knowledge to people of creatures they may never have thought about and from this may go away and think that they to want to do somethingto help save these animals from humans,even if it just meant giving a bit of money to a wildlife charity.
He was passionate about life if it came in the form of an ant,crocodile, or human.
Is this really the time to discuss whether or not he was vegan, or if we think he tormented wild/captive animals.
He was a man,whose life was taken prematurely while trying to make a film for his young daughter, who now does not have a dad.
Whether or not you agreed or disagreed with part/all of what he did , he has died now,leaving behind animals that may not have been alive today if not for the work he did and also animals in the future , but also a young family without a dad or husband, his parents without a son and friends with one less friend in their lives.

R.I.P Steve Irwin

[aubergine]

But it's not a matter of slagging him off. The debate is relavent, otherwise we all might as well give up veganism because we think our heart is in the right place.

Also no-one's said he deserved to die. His death was tragic, and that's not open for debate.

[Pagan Vegan]

Can you believe this - how stupid. It makes me so angry.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/...542044,00.html

[aubergine]

I never fail to be amazed by the stupidity of our species

[meggymaggoo]

Sick stupidity.

[Mr Flibble]

I just read that on the register. There's also a game on newgrounds - http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/336992

[nibelwolf]

Well, I've personally made almost a complete turnaround when it comes to Steve Irwin... I do feel very bad that he has died, but I also reconsidered a lot of the things he's done.

He did do a lot of good for charity but the more I think about it, the less I can defend some of the things he did to the animals he presented on camera and on talkshows, the more sorry I feel for them, and the more I wish they had just been left in the wild where they belong, and I'm still rather miffed about how he viewed domestic animals. I'm really sorry about being so ignorant about this before, I think it has a lot to do with having watched his program so often and being a bit shocked that he died, it made me gloss over many of his mistakes, which I shouldn't have.

I'm deeply disturbed by these people who are killing stingrays now. Humans can be such monsters. And I think it's particularily ridiculous because say what you want about Steve Irwin, he really did love wild animals, and he wouldn't want to kill all these stingrays if he was still around. I don't understand how people feel they're honouring the death of a man who loved wildlife by killing these animals. They're doing exactly the kind of thing that upset him when he was alive.

[philfox]

i don't know if it's been mentioned on here yet but i have just seen this on the bbc website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5338118.stm
people...you could just...

[forthebirds]

I honestly don't know anything about leather production beyond what I've seen in Earthlings, where they said that actually leather basically never comes from the beef cattle? I'm not sure about it, I should look into it.

Everything I've ever read specifically states that the meat packing industry is interdependent with the leather industry as the skin byproducts are the most econmically profitable of all the byproducts. And that most leather, in the US at least, does come from cows.

----------------------

How ironic that people are killing stingrays. That is exactly what I was talking about -- how the conservation message is lost amid the sensationalism of his methods.

[sandra]

Your comment sums up my sentiments exactly, vegandrummersam!

[xwitchymagicx]

Apparently, contrary to what someone posted here, he would trap crocs for people in exchange for letting him keep them for his zoo, not relocating them.

I'm sure that was because crocs have a homing thing, and just releasing them "somewhere else" wouldn't work because they'd eventually find their way back. It wasn't safe to leave them in the wild in case they hurt humans so he put them in his zoo so they could live without the danger of humans hurting them.

Not 100% positive could have been a lie I guess.

[Roxy]

Can we all just stop and remember something here ,

a man has died leaving behind a wife and two children.
Do we reallly need to be slagging him off like this esp at this time.
He helped raise $millions for animal charities , something none of us will prob be ever able to do.
He brought the knowledge to people of creatures they may never have thought about and from this may go away and think that they to want to do somethingto help save these animals from humans,even if it just meant giving a bit of money to a wildlife charity.
He was passionate about life if it came in the form of an ant,crocodile, or human.
Is this really the time to discuss whether or not he was vegan, or if we think he tormented wild/captive animals.
He was a man,whose life was taken prematurely while trying to make a film for his young daughter, who now does not have a dad.
Whether or not you agreed or disagreed with part/all of what he did , he has died now,leaving behind animals that may not have been alive today if not for the work he did and also animals in the future , but also a young family without a dad or husband, his parents without a son and friends with one less friend in their lives.

R.I.P Steve Irwin

I agree with this and thank you for posting that moving video montage of his life. It brought tears to my eyes too.

[Haniska]

My fiance the omni was saddened by Steve Irwin's death. He is also the type of guy who kills bugs "because they are in his house". When I told him that it was posted that people are killing stingrays he said "That is exactly what he WOULDN'T have wanted!"
Anyway, I was going to say, I agree with veggiewoman, I don't think it is right to spead of the recently departed, but if we must then maybe a new thread should be started.

[Geoff]

Hundreds of stingrays are killed daily by trawler crews who find them in their nets, according to Bill Hunter, (one time chair of Sunfish) who doesn't think the ones washing up on the beaches now are the result of revenge killing. Just a product of the normal everyday life of the fisherfolk of Qld., along with the albatross, turtles etc.