'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin is dead.

[Bhang]

Before I ever became political or nwo aware, Steve Irwin was my personal hero before Alex Jones. Any man that jumps into the water with crocodiles and calls them sweet names, is no man at all; he was an animal and I loved him for it! He had more guts than any man I ever met! The bestfreind any animal could have. From this point on I have much disrespect for sting-rays or devil-rays or whatever you call them!

RIP MATE!

'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin dies at 44
Conservationist and T.V. star killed during filming of documentary
Published on: Tuesday, September 5, 2006

CAIRNS, Australia | Steve Irwin died doing what he loved best, getting too close to one of the dangerous animals he dedicated his life to protecting with an irrepressible, effervescent personality that propelled him to global fame as television's "Crocodile Hunter."

The 44-year-old Irwin's heart was pierced by the serrated, poisonous spine of a stingray as he swam with the creature Monday while shooting a new TV show on the Great Barrier Reef, his manager and producer John Stainton said.

News of Irwin's death reverberated around the world, where he won popularity with millions as the man who regularly leaped on the back of huge crocodiles and grabbed deadly snakes by the tail.

"Crikey!" was his catch phrase, repeated whenever there was a close call � or just about any other event � during his TV programs, delivered with a broad Australian twang, mile-a-minute delivery and big arm gestures.

"I am shocked and distressed at Steve Irwin's sudden, untimely and freakish death," Australian Prime Minister John Howard said. "It's a huge loss to Australia."

Conservationists said all the world would feel the loss of Irwin, who turned a childhood love of snakes, lizards and knowledge learned at his parents' side into a message of wildlife preservation that reached a television audience that reportedly exceeded 200 million.

"He was probably one of the most knowledgeable reptile people in the entire world," Jack Hanna, director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio, told ABC's "Good Mornin

g America."

In high-energy programs from Africa, the Americas and Asia, but especially his beloved Australia, Irwin � dressed always in khaki shorts, shirt and heavy boots � crept up on lions, chased and was chased by komodo dragons, and went eye-to-eye with poisonous snakes.

Often, his trademark big finish was to hunt down one of the huge saltwater crocodiles that inhabit the rivers and beaches of the Outback in Australia's tropical north, leap onto its back, grabbing its jaws with his bare hands, then tying the animal's mouth with rope.

He was a committed conservationist, running a wildlife park for crocodiles and other Australian fauna, including kangaroos, koalas and possums, and using some of his TV wealth to buy tracts of land for use as natural habitat.

www.star.niu.edu/articles/?id=26359

[altitudelou]

I would like to believe that Steve even in death would not blame the very creature that caused his death, nor would he want any harm to come to it, he was bigger than that and always pointed out to his audience that it is usually man's / woman's interaction with nature that gets them in trouble and not natures creatures that are at fault.

Steve understood well the need to protect nature from "us", not to protect us from nature, so many people seem to have that turned around when they hear the word "CONSERVATION", Steve was indeed a true conservationist from head to toe, one with a huge heart and a great sense of humor, his love, his family and his work, what a special person he was and still is, his life may have ended but his memory will live on and the work he did will continue in his name_as it should.

Do I - would I - could I hate the creature that caused Steves death, no more so than Steve would or could.

The Bull Ray that stung him did not do it with premeditation, no planning, no ill will, no malice on the part of the Ray, it just reacted, probably out of fear that it was being attacked by a large predator, Steve was just to close to it to avoid being hit by the Ray's barbed tail, it probably happened in one brief explosive second and had Steve been hit anywhere but directly in the heart he would be alive today, complaining about himself getting to close and causing the Ray to sting him, that's the Steve Irwin I knew.

If Steve Irwin taught us anything over the years, it was to understand and respect nature and all the living creatures that live in it.

[Bhang]

altitudelou: A very well written piece which highlights my lack of maturity in this matter! Please note: I love Steve Erwin, he is one of my real life HEROS!

neonknight wrote me:

So back in 2000 a website called Camp Chaos did a series of flash movies. They got popular during the Napster/Metallica drama with there "Napster Bad" movies. Well they also did one movie that was called Schoolyard of Danger that starred Steve Googley (aka Stever Irwin). Remarkably the site is still going and I found the flash movie. It was funny back then but now it's kinda sad.

I think it captures Steve's love and passion despite the fact they were 'poking' fun and of all the animals in Earth's divine kingdom, this animal is by far the most dangerous!

www.campchaos.com/blog-archives/2006/05/schoolyard_of_danger.html

For the sake of information/learning I submit the following. I know for some it will be in bad taste:

Fatally injured by a stingray, Australian "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin pulled its barb out of his chest before losing consciousness and dying, his manager said on Tuesday.

Video footage of the attack shows Irwin swimming above the stingray on the Great Barrier Reef on Monday when it lashed out and speared him in the heart with its barbed tail, manager John Stainton told reporters.

"It shows that Steve came over the top of the ray and the tail came up, and spiked him here (in the chest)," Stainton said after watching the footage.

"He pulled it out and the next minute he's gone. The cameraman had to shut down," he said.

"It's a very hard thing to watch because you're actually witnessing somebody die ... it's terrible."

xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,11965-6258258,00.html

The footage of Steve Irwin's death should be destroyed, his manager and friend John Stainton said today.

"I would never want that tape shown," Stainton told CNN talk show host Larry King.

"It should be destroyed.

"At the moment it is in police custody for evidence. There's a coroner's inquest taking place at the moment.

"When that is finally released it will never see the light of day.

"Never. Ever.

"I actually saw it and I don't want to see it again."

Irwin, 44, died on Monday when he was stabbed in the chest by a stingray barb while snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef and Stainton has said footage of the incident is "terrible".

The footage shows Irwin pulling the barb out of his chest before dying.

While Stainton wants the footage kept under wraps, media experts say it might soon be circulating on the internet.

"The key point is once there's something on film, it's impossible to keep it contained," said Paul Levinson, chairman of Fordham University's Department of Communication and Media Studies.

Stainton, who broke down several times during the CNN interview, said Irwin's wife, Terri, was struggling with her husband's death.

When King asked Stainton how Terri was doing, he replied: "A lot worse than me."

Stainton told how he travelled with Irwin's body in a casket on a seaplane from Cairns to Irwin's family on Queensland's Sunshine Coast yesterday.

"We brought him home last night because he has been in Cairns," Stainton said.

"I travelled on the plane with him for six hours, just him and I. For five hours I couldn't stop crying. It was devastating."

When Irwin's family saw the casket, it brought a sense of reality that the larger than life Irwin had died, he said.

"The fact that we finally got him home and the family saw the casket last night, it was like a full stop," he said.

"Until you actually see that you can't imagine it.

"You think it's a dream and it's not happening. But it is and it has and it's done."

Stainton said the family was still too distressed to decide when Irwin's funeral would take place.

The Irwin family has been offered a state funeral.

"We haven't worked it out yet," he said.

"We can't even get to it.

"Just listening to his voice. It's just hard."

AAP

While the wife of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin hasn't held a press conference, Terri Irwin did take a moment to address the staff at Australia Zoo. According to Australia Zoo and Wildlife Warriors spokesman, Michael Hornby, Terri used the Zoo's two-way radio system to thank the staff for their support.

Terri's mother, Judy Raines, is expected to arrive in Australia from Oregon to help her daughter and grandchildren through this difficult time.

Steve's father, Bob Irwin, spoke with the media yesterday. "Terri's holding up very well, considering. She's extremely concerned for her children — Bindi [8] and Robert [2] — obviously. And that's the reason I asked the media to please give them a little bit of a break for the children's sake."

Bob Irwin went on to talk about the bond between father and son, saying they were more like mates. He said he would remember Steve as his best mate ever.

Regarding his son's work, the elder Irwin said he would work with Terri to carry on conservation efforts with her until the time the children are old enough to take over. Bob Irwin gave his son his start in working with animals and was the founder of Australia Zoo, which was called the Beerwah Reptile Park in the early '70s, the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park in the '80s, and was renamed Australia Zoo in the '90s.

Father and son spent years relocating rogue crocodiles in an effort to reduce the number of crocs killed after interacting with people or livestock. Techniques developed over time offered better results and cost less money, resulting in the Australian government requesting the pair's assistance with problem crocodiles.

Bob Irwin, practical bloke, insisted his son be formally trained in another trade, "just in case." Steve pursued an education in diesel mechanics, but never had to use his skills at a regular job.

Coworkers at Australia Zoo also spoke to reporters about the loss of the man who was not just their boss, but their friend. Peter Lang, marketing manager for the Zoo, said he can't quite reconcile the fact he won't able to work alongside Irwin again. Jon Hanger, senior vet at the Zoo, talked about the intuitive way Irwin had with animals — "you could see it whenever he was handling animals" — and he had special rapport with animals, regardless of whether or not they were found in the wild, at the Zoo, or were simply pets. He had a heart of gold and was "open-hearted, took you in as part of his family, not afraid to show emotion," said Michael Hornby. He continued on to say Steve Irwin is irreplaceable.

John Stainton, friend and filmmaker, has called for the footage showing the Crocodile Hunter's death to be destroyed once the coroner has finished with it. "At the moment it is in police custody for evidence. There's a coroner's inquest taking place at the moment. When that is finally released it will never see the light of day. Never. Ever," Stainton told Larry King on CNN. Animal Planet and Discovery Channel president Billy Campbell said, "Mrs Irwin would be consulted on any use of the footage of her husband's death."

Police reports regarding the footage indicate Irwin was in no way threatening or intimidating the stingray before it struck. Fellow documentarian Ben Cropp had not seen the footage, but had spoken to a friend on Irwin's vessel, Croc One. "He probably got too close. Do I think he was irresponsible? No, he was unlucky. I know because I've done it myself, but in my case the ray missed me."

Jim Fowler, former host of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom said, "It's one of the biggest tragedies we could have in our world. The real challenge in this century is communication and Steve Irwin was a spokesperson for the natural world." Fowler also said working with animals "is one of the safest professions."

In addition to the vast video legacy left behind, Steve Irwin had sought to purchase available land as a means of preserving habitat for the animals he hoped to save. His plan was to have the land designated as wildlife sanctuaries, like national parks. As well, Australia Zoo and other Irwin-sponsored funds contributed to local medical and research foundations and projects to improve the lives of children in the area. Special events for ill children were often held at the Zoo. When travelling to impoverished countries, Irwin always brought much needed supplies and money to help the locals, especially if wildlife was involved. Providing people with opportunities to preserve natural resources was a high priority.

Update: For those wishing to send condolences to the Irwin Family, the Queensland Government has set up a web page making this possible.

If you'd like to make a donation in Steve's memory, the family has asked donations be made to the Wildlife Warriors Worldwide fund. This is the only official fund for donations made on the Crocodile Hunter's behalf.

blogcritics.org/archives/2006/09/06/092437.php

[Jeanie]

Steve Irwins death, a monumental loss to humanity... He was unique, his passion for life, his dedication to wild life, unequaled. I heard the sad news on radio, during that dreadful night...I had no idea how deep my feelings for him ingrained my being.. I, being an anti carnivore person, did not share his affection for croc's and the likes of, but the man Steve Irwin, unparalled. Unfortunately, he should have let wildlife be his all and not mixed marrage and children, as his death by this means was inevitable. Steve would not have blamed the sting ray, he would have admitted he made a mistake swimming above and too close. It was a freak accident.
Sadly, that day I recieved the news of the death of a dear and respected friend. Not a good day at all.

[altitudelou]

Bhang wrote,

"altitudelou: A very well written piece which highlights my lack of maturity in this matter! Please note: I love Steve Erwin, he is one of my real life HEROS!"
_______________________________________

Hi Bhang,

I did not mean to malign your maturity in any way, I can symphonize with your anger as well as all of the other emotions that people are feeling with regard to Steves death, it caught everyone by surprise to say the least and everyone must deal with it in their own way.

I feel a great loss over Steves passing but I will not dwell on the sadness of his death but rather, I will celebrate his life and how he lived it, that's my way of dealing with it.

Whenever I see footage of him doing his thing I will no doubt smile and remember him doing what he loved, I think as long as we remember him, that will be the true and best tribute anyone can make, one from our hearts.

Caring sadness around for ones death, especially a family member of good friend is understandable, I know because I've lost a number of both but that sadness can become so negative after awhile that it starts to affect your life in a negative manner, it's so easy to replace that sadness felt for the one lost with joy for the way they lived by just thinking of them as they lived, the good times, the bad, the funny, it all adds up to "Their Life", remembering it keeps them very much alive in your mind as well as in your heart.

I think the more you cared for someone that has passed, that only serves to multiply the joy felt in remembering how they lived.

Ha, listen to me, talking like some Guru, what do I know except that life is short and we should all take advantage of what time we have left and enjoy it.

[Bhang]

altitudelou, no prob. Here is a slide show of some pics of Steve:

video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7534543947104800888&q=steve+irwin

May he rest in peace.