Posted on 09/04/2006 7:03:34 AM PDT by gopwinsin04
Crocodile hunter Irwin : Passionate showman in the wild by Marc Lavine 1 hour, 1 minute ago
SYDNEY - Iconic Aussie wildlife daredevil Steve Irwin has died as he loved living: seeking out the world's most dangerous and exotic creatures in their own domain.
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But, in a strange twist, it was one of the less dangerous creatures that he has confronted that ultimately claimed his life.
The ebullient environmentalist, one of Australia's best known exports, was killed when he was lashed in the chest by a stingray's poison barb while filming underwater on the Great Barrier Reef on Monday.
"We have probably lost one of the most passionate wildlife people on this earth," said Irwin's producer John Stainton, who was filming with Irwin when his heart was pierced by the stingray's venomous tail.
Irwin's overflowing passion for animals, reptiles, fish and other creatures -- however deadly they might have been -- was a lifelong affair that made him a household name across the world.
His infectious enthusiasm and natural showmanship grew out of a childhood spent at the small reptile park started by his parents in Queensland, northeastern Australia, where he learned his love for creepy crawlies.
Born Stephen Robert Irwin in the southern city of Melbourne in 1962, the future "Crocodile Hunter" was exposed to such creatures from the earliest age by his reptile-enthusiast plumber father Bob and mum Lyn.
When Irwin was eight, his family moved to Queensland to launch a reptile park at Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast, where he helped care for and feed the slithering menagerie which he soon adopted.
He would spend his spare time catching fish and hunting rodents to feed to his 3.6-meter (12-foot) pet python and his crocodiles.
Irwin's father taught him the ropes, even training him to jump into rivers in the region to catch crocodiles at night with his bare hands, an antic that would become one of Irwin's signature moves when he became a global television star.
As an adult, Irwin launched into the crocodile trapping business in areas of Queensland where the beasts were troubling residents, and in 1991 he took over the family business which he would turn into a global attraction.
Fate took a hand in Irwin's fortunes in 1991, when he ran into an old friend and television producer, Stainton, who oversaw the making of Irwin's first documentary, "The Crocodile Hunter", in 1992.
The show depicted the crocodile-trapping honeymoon of Irwin and his new American bride Terri Raines, who he had met at the park, and it turned Irwin into a TV personality.
Over the next 15 years, Irwin would make more than 70 one-hour episodes of his unusual wildlife documentary series, as well as scores of other shows with titles such as "Croc Files" and "Croc Diaries".
The unusual mix of Irwin's boundless enthusiasm and apparent fearlessness while getting close up and personal with terrifying creatures turned him into a star, notably in the United States where he is the subject of countless impersonation acts.
But his passion for promoting environmentalism and educating children in the ways of the wild had got Irwin into trouble as well as making him legions of fans.
In 2004, the father-of-two became the focus of a public firestorm when he fed a chicken to a hungry crocodile while holding his one-year-old son Bob in his other arm.
Irwin hit back at critics, saying the child was in no danger and insisted that he would continue such antics if they taught children about wildlife. His eight-year-old daughter Bindi looks set to follow in her dad's footsteps.
"When I was a very small boy, my dad did the same for me," he retorted. "In fact when I was nine-years-old he let me jump, restrain and capture my first crocodile
I surely enjoyed watching his shows.
A tip of the hat and a fond farewell.
Indeed... He was one of a kind. I've enjoyed watching him through the years, and crikey he lived life :~)
I wil miss Steve. He was a favorite in my family. I know it will be especially hard on his little girl Bindi. They seemed to be very close.
He really made Jeff Corwin look like a pantywaist.
(c:
That's such a funny shot; looks like THREE smiles!
Quite sad to see him go this way.
You could say he had defied the odds up till now considering what an immensely dangerous job he had.
Is it wrong to type that he's now in heaven with 72 croc virgins? (that's to put a humorous and positive spin on his life for those who I know will take the comment in the worse possible way).
Remember, he died doing what he LOVED doing. Sort of like a golfer dying on the golf course. What better way to go than that?
How sad this is. My condolences to his family. One never knows when his or her time is up, but at least he died doing what he loved best. RIP Crocodile Hunter.
Now that's what I call a hilarious picture. A Kiwi, an Aussie, and an American (it sounds like the beginning of a joke).
Very Sad. I just found out about it. I will never forget the first show I ever saw of his. He was in a boat and it was dark. He pulled up next to a crocodile and the proceeded to jump out of the boat on top of it. I about came out of my chair. Since then I have watched him chase cobras, and sharks. To find out a stingray did him in is just shocking.
The 'sting' which gives these fishes their common name is a modified dermal denticle mounted near the base of the tail, about one-third along its total length. The sting consists of a blade-like barb with serrations along both edges and a venom gland at the base. The serrae point toward the base of the spine, making removal difficult and very painful. The venom is a fairly powerful nerve toxin which affects the heart in complex and dangerous ways.
Wow I cannot believe this!!!!! He was one of my favorites. Prayers up for friends and family.
Normally the sting from a stingray is not life threatening. It's really too bad. I just hope Steve Irwin's critics can have some decency and restrain themselves from saying things like, "See, he got what he deserved for playing with dangerous animals."
Steve was awesome, and may his wife and daughter find comfort.
This is bad news.Great guy,great show.I loved his shows,but i must admit i'm not surprised.On occasion he would get waaay too close to poisonous snakes and monster crocs.Dedicated conservationalist-he'll be missed.
That Steve Irwin was an expert in croc & snake behavior was beyond doubt. It always bothered me on those occasions when he entered the marine environment. He didn't look too comfortable to me, then this.
RIP, mate.
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