Steve Irwin has died

[dreamworld_rulz]

Just heard on channel 7 Melbourne. He died when a stingray stung him in Cairns. Wonder if this will effect Australia Zoo. My thoughts go out to his family.

Edited September 4, 2006 by dreamworld_rulz

[Richard]

Here's an article that provides a few more details. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,2...5005961,00.html The Australia Zoo website and Crocodile Hunter websites have been taken down. It's a very tragic and shocking story. My thoughts are certainly with his family.

[Swanny]

Woa. thats realy sad. He was certainly a very important part of Australia. R.I.P

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

From Daily Telegraph: CROCODILE Hunter Steve Irwin has died after a string-ray barb caught him in the chest. The 44-year-old international TV star was swimming off the Low Isles at Port Douglas filming an underwater documentary when the incident happened. Ambulance officers confirmed they attended a reef fatality this morning at Batt Reef off Port Douglas. It is understood Irwin was killed around midday. Irwin leaves his wife Terri and young children Bob and and Bindi. The blonde star of Crocodile Hunter, who made khaki shorts and boots his uniform all year round, was an Australian icon. But his reptile wrestling antics thrilled overseas audiences even more and he became a fixture on US television in the past decade. The son of naturalists Bob and Lyn Irwin, Steve learned to live with dangerous reptiles from a young age at the family’s Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park. He opened his own Australia Zoo in Queensland in 1991, leading him to record the hugely popular Crocodile Hunter the following year. His catchcry of “Crikey!” brought the unfashionable Aussie phrase back into vogue. Irwin’s work had a serious side. He was recently made the face of Australia’s quarantine laws and appeared in TV advertisements urging travellers not to endanger Australia’s unique flora and fauna by bringing in foreign specimens. For all his love of animals, Irwin’s first duty was to his US-born wife, Terri Reines, who appeared by his side from the very first episode of the Crocodile Hunter. In 1998, their daughter Bindi Sue was born and drafted straight into the family business. A son, Robert Clarence, was born in 2003 and Irwin made world headlines - and suffered a dent on his popularity - when he took the baby boy into a crocodile enclosure, leading critics to accuse him of neglect.

[Hugh_gazzz]

very tragic news, steve Irwin was an incredible aussie bloke. But i cant imagine his death will impact Australia Zoo much. Seeing he would'nt have been there very much anyway, doing documenteries and stuff. very sad news

[Spotty]

R.I.P Steve Irwin, All our thoughts are with your family and freinds This is truly tragic as he was such a Aussie Hero, I can only imagine how Terri, Bindi and the rest of his family are coping

Edited September 4, 2006 by Spotty

[aidan]

I cant believe he is gone... Its crazy, it came out of no-where. I feel sorry for his family and friends... rest in peace Steve

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

...i cant imagine his death will impact Australia Zoo much. Seeing he would'nt have been there very much anyway, doing documenteries and stuff.

I can't really agree with that. Steve always treasured the zoo, and spent a lot of time there. Yes he did his tv shows, appearances on talk shows and such, but the zoo was the core business. All of the staff at Australia Zoo looked to steve a bit like a father. they idolised him, and steve was always on site to handle the heavy-duty work when it was required. He was also heavily invested in the interests of the wildlife hospital, and I understand funding had only just been approved to begin its expansion into the biggest facility of its kind here in australia. Steve was very passionate about his work with animals, and making others aware of the need for conservation. His Wildlife Warriors fund is more evidence of this, and this is based out of the hospital. Im putting 2 to 1 odds in favour that this hospital when completed will be renamed in Steve's honor, and I for one totally support that. Australia has lost one of its biggest icons in the international arena, as well as one of our biggest voices for the care and conservation of our wildlife. But the bottom line is that while the day to day running of the zoo was entrusted to someone else, the public came to Australia Zoo to see "The Crocodile Hunter", especially the americans and asian market. If Steve were not heavily involved with the zoo, the attraction would not nearly be as big as it is. You could never know when you would be at the park and have to dive to the side as steve and his keepers manhandled a massive croc through the ground of the zoo. The Zoo will not be the same. It is sad that Steve left before passing on his legacy to Bindi and Bob in full. I cannot see them becoming nearly as involved as they would have had steve lived, unless Terri steps in and ensures that they do. The children are way too young to have fixed an attachment on the wildlife love that steve has. The only thing we can hope for is that Terri can guide those kids down the right path, and I for one thinks this little American girl may just have the gumption to do just that. Rest In Peace Steve, Australia, It's wildlife, and indeed half the civilised world will miss you on our screens, guarding our native wildlife, and in our hearts.

[Coaster Boy 6]

I can't believe he's gone!! . He was a great Aussie Icon. I loved the faces and expressions he pulled when hunting a crcodile or another animal, he really made me laugh . Even though he was only 44 years old when he died, I think Steve lived life to the full. He has had two kids, owned one of the largest zoos in the world (trust me it's big, went there last year), made movies and documenteries that screened all over the world and traveled all over the place. He had fame, fortune and wonderfull family; What else do you need!? Right now i couldn't even imagine what the family is going through; the must be really upset. And good on them for not having a state funeral. He deserves a decent burial (not the whole of Australia watching his family go through this hard time) and, apparently, that's what Steve wanted (according to his father). The whole of Australia will miss you Steve, you really showed how one man can make a huge difference to the world we live in. At least he died doing what he liked doing best. CoasterBoy6

[matty_o_911]

Ok, before I go into an anti-media tirade let me first say that I like everyone else was completely shocked about his death. Despite the fact that he dealt with deadly animals every day of his life I suppose we subconsciously all asumed he was invincible. His death leaves a large hole in Australia and he certainly won't be forgotten. His efforts in the field of animal conservation are unmatched and likely there will never be anyone again who can bring animal welfare to the forefront of the human psyche. I think we will all definately miss his presence. Ok that's that said. I have however been increasingly annoyed at the media over their coverage of this. The biggest thing that annoyed me is the way the media has responded to criticism of Irwin. In particular this happened tonight on the abysmal A Current Affair with the interview between Karl Stefanovic and Germaine Greer. Shame on channel nine for using public sympathy to get ratings and dispute in that manner the completely valid opinion the feminist presented for which I to a large degree agree with. Steve Irwin did amazing things for animal conservation, but this often came at the expense of animal rights: effectively achieving good outcomes through reprehensible means. Irwin made his career teasing, annoying and aggravating animals to the extent that they will attack him. I'm quite sure the snakes and crocodiles didn't want to be lifted up all the time, poked, prodded and displayed on talk shows in front of audiences and under studio lighting. Animals just want to be left alone in the wild to go about their daily lives, not have him laying next to them screaming in their ears (obviously tiny animals' hearing will be much more sensitive than ours). He owes his fame to the relative abuse of animals. And so to hear a lowly journalist ask Greer whether 'anyone else actually agrees with her' and criticise her for not 'naming one person who does' I think is evidence of the deplorable journalism that the 6.30pm timeslot is used to. It is of paramount importance in a democracy such as ours for competing opinions to be expressed; and having a biased, propagandist media that silences other opinions is not tolerable. Steve Irwin did wonderful things for animal conservation, yes, but not through the best methods. The animal world has gained its freedom....but at the espense of its savior.

[Richard]

It's all about a time and place. Whether you're a fan or not doesn't make it OK to publicly condemn someone just days after they were killed, especially when it is so irrelevant to anything right now. I agree of course that the 6:30 slot is a laugh. I don't think any remotely educated person considers it anything other than light entertainment. I'd be surprised if there were any scientific links between animals being under studio conditions and elevated stress levels. I have no doubts that no animals were physically harmed in the process, and I'm certainly not going to take science lessons about animals' hearing abilities from a feminist who likes to prove how well she can look things up (if you haven't read her initial article that prompted this backlash, do so here). Fact is, more acute hearing doesn't mean that it'll damage the animals hearing, nor make it more stressed even. The big ole' catch 22 of course is that if Steve Irwin wasn't doing this, taking the animals onto Jay Leno, then he wouldn't have had 5 million viewers at home watching, getting interested and doing something. If at the end of the day every single one of these animals goes back to what it was doing and lives out its life, then no harm done, simple as that. Any perceived negatives are far outweighed by the positive things it does. Whenever something happens like this there's always a few has-beens who seize the opportunity to get a few more minutes of fame. If only we still had Beauty and the Beast, then we could at least concentrate it to one place.

[joz]

Richard's posts pretty much sums up my feelings on her article. She's done a great job of getting her name out there by talking about stuff she really has no idea about and just, well, having a dumb rant. I mean whats with blaming Steve Irwin for everything from habitat loss, to animal cruelty, child abuse (and a bizarre conspiracy theory that goes all the way up to John Howard thrown in for good measure) and being mean to chickens. Give me a break. Steve was a great man, and before you start claiming animal abuse, understand some stuff about animal handling. If taking an animal on a TV show is animal abuse then I want to know why no one had a problem with it before his death, and why Ranger Stacey hasn't been brought to justice yet (seriously, she's been taking animals into studio lit environments as long as I can remember). I don't think much of the 6.30 time, (along with any news source which can't work out the difference between a Stingray and a Manta ray; ones kinda big with a stinger, one's huge with no stinger, not hard to get people), and I think even less of people who try and leech of someone Else's fame and tragic death to get their deluded face on said 6.30 time slot. RIP Steve, one things for sure; if there's a heaven, it'll never be the same again.

Edited September 7, 2006 by joz

[dreamworld_rulz]

I'm sick of people having a go @ Steve Irwin. They had their chance when he was alive. Also dunno if this is the same but i'll mention it anyway. What about the animal catches? The ones that get the snake out of your house or get rid of the bees or the rats. Isn't that the same by moving them? Someome mentioned (not on here) that Steve tried to ride the stingray. How can you ride a Stingray? Steve has done more for the animals then people realize. Just have a look at the money he puts into wildlife. R.I.P. Steve you'll be missed big time.