Steve Irwin, The Croc Hunter, Dead!

[Sark79]

Underneath the showman, was a guy who had a genuine and deep love for animals. He was a great guy and was known right across the planet.   I remember one of his shows was in Africa and featured Gorillas.  The expert who cared for the Gorillas said that out of everyone he had ever worked with ( Including Gorilla experts ) Steve Irwin was the most natural person around animals. This was coming from a well known Zoologist in Africa. 

He was far more than just an act for the camera's.

[dik9]

Proper entertaining, and informative geezer and a real shame this has happened. Watched an interview with him once and he said his demise would come through his passion of his job. So I suppose he saw it coming, and what a way to go, doing something that you really are passionate about.

Now i will never find out who would win at table tennis between a gator and a hippo

[charmaine]

Sad news indeed 

[zelda]

Terrible news - my oldest children are so upset! My thoughts are with his young family...

[leighton_87]

Very sad new, someone which such passion for the animals and in a way that was so entertaining for us to watch.  I'm sure he'll be missed deeply by so many.

[Sheriff Fatman]

Sad news, he was fantastically entertaining as his passion and enthusiasm was so obvious to see.

The incident which killed him is such a freak event too.  I was hand feeding stingrays in the Bahamas less than 3 weeks ago.  They're creatures that you can safely get close to provided you don't act like an idiot.  They'll attack if threatened which generally means accidentally stepping or falling on one.

Even if attacked, this will very rarely prove to be fatal.  The tail hits with massive force and has razor sharp barbs on it so it'll take a lump of flesh with it (the Bahaman's described the experience as feeling like being shot).  The venom itself isn't that powerful as far as humans are concerned.

However, in this case it sounds as if his heart was pierced by the blow, most likely prompting a fatal heart attack or doing enough damage to a vulnerable part of the body.

Sheriff

[bolt pp]

that really is sad, he had such an enthusiasm for life and animals, he seemed like a great guy, passionate and committed to the well being of the planet and all its inhabitants.

I dont usually take much of an interest in celebrity affairs but i really did think guy was genuine, likeable, and respected life a way in which allowed him to live everyday to its full potential.

[johnlarsson]

the guy was a fool.

what he did with his kid was sick.

[Rookie (Rodney)]

What are you talking about John? And i think you ought to keep that picture off of this thread at least.

[johnlarsson]

chill out. did any of you know him personally the pic is just a wee joke. it isnt attacking him personally.

when he took his kid in with the crocodile a few years ago and dangled it in front of it

[Rod Paradise]

The one Steve Irwin moment I remember best (because it sent shivers down my spine) was when he was on a rocky wooded slope in the US looking for timber rattlesnakes - he found one, caught it and was crouched behind a rock showing the snake, then he froze, there was another under the rock - rattling & right in line with his groin. It was terrifying to watch.

He was great to watch and did a hell of a lot for wildlife. It's a sad loss.


PS John - shocking man - but I laughed.

[ifm]

when he took his kid in with the crocodile a few years ago and dangled it in front of it

I remember that, bit of an outcry at the time.

[Sark79]

He talked out that.  He said unless there was an earthquake that registered 6.8 on the scale, he would not have fallen over with the kid.   

[dik9]

Wasn't really a dangle ala michael jackson
More of an introduction as his parents did to him, hence his respect and rapport with nature.

[Sark79]

Twenty years from now when I am grey and old, I will be telling my Kids when they are watching Irwins son on TV " aiee, I used to watch his Dad twenty years ago, he was a top bloke ".