Steve Irwin dies

[DonnaT]

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/ ... Hunter.php

CAIRNS, Australia He stalked lions. He faced off with poisonous snakes. He wrestled with crocodiles. When the end came for television's beloved "Crocodile Hunter," it was in an encounter with a stingray and its venomous tail barb.

Perhaps it wasn't surprising. 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.

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.

[Loy B(SO)]

I was shocked to hear that he had died. I have to admit he wasnt one of my favorite people.I dont know what it was about him,but there was just something about him I didnt care for, although I would occasionly find myself watching his shows.I thought it was real odd that died from a stingray and it wasnt a crocidile that killed him.I guess i always figured one day he would get a lil too close to a crocodile.

[Carolynn]

Irwin was a daredevil when it came to animals. You could see it in his face, hear it in his voice, he really got off on the danger aspects. I know people who do and sound the same with dangerous snakes. One of them was nearly killed by a "pet" 6 ft. python. Irwin always felt he knew animals signals, and what he did was not quite as dangerous as it looked. Still, he took more and more chances as he tried to keep an audience for his show. As often happens, playing around with animals in their own turf can lead to sudden ends. At least it wasn't grizzlies and he didn't get eaten, and his death was likely fast. And it was filmed and spectacular. He probably would have been pleased.

Carolynn

[Rose Darn]

Hi All,
I have to agree with you, Loy B. I would occasionally watch the Crock Hunter but he was not my favorite.
Carolynn,
Grizzly bears like their food rotten, so I think that your body would sit for a few days before the bear ate you. Like that nature guy and gal that were killed last year up on the northern region of Alaska. The bear killed them both, but did not eat them (yet).
Rose

[Merinda]

I've never bothered to watch his shows , his eccentric style was not typical of most australians , I didn't like it when he dangled his baby over a croc' .

However

I feel saddened by his death , my sympathy goes out to his family.

[Gaven McLaren]

Merinda "I didn't like it when he dangled his baby over a croc' ." He did not dangle his baby. He brought his baby into the pin and there was film crew and a lot of other people that was there to protect both Steve and Bob the baby. No it was not smart to bring the baby in the pin it was safer then Michael Jacksons baby when he held it out over a balcony and almost dropped him from 5 stories up. I liked Steve Irwin and watched his show quite often.

[Celia]

44 feels young (for a change). I'm 44; so I guess I've outlived Steve, and will probably do so by quite a bit. Yet he knew fame, fortune, and high adventure. I've known little if anything of those and would be surprised if I ever did. Makes you wonder who outlived whom.

-Celia

[Janet_Johnson]

Yes, i've got to say that the man will be missed. Although he went into a lot of danger everytime he did his work.

[Sally]

For all Steve Irwin’s popularity it must never be forgotten that he was first and foremost a showman, and did what he did for financial gain, and sometimes at the discomfort of the animals he vehemently purported to protect.

I must admit that he wasn’t my favourite person mainly because of the way he did treat animals from time to time. I always remember seeing him on the Jay Leno show where he had a species of large lizard or goanna, the name of which just escapes me at the moment, but he told Jay to pick up the reptile and when he did it started to urinate on Leno’s desk, and this became a huge point of hilarity. Nobody gave the reptile any thoughts as to it’s stress and being petrified in that situation of being handled as the reasons for it’s uncontrolled actions, and being in a foreign environment under strong lights and amongst shouting people and the loud noise of a laughing audience. There are many instances of the years of where Steve Irwin used animals in this type of situation whereby the animals became petrified in the name of ‘show business’, and this is the main reason why the man never became popular in our house.

I realize those few people who have been ‘brave’ enough to speak out about him have all been ‘howled down’, but I stand firm in the face of ridicule because I firmly believe to an extent he was a fraud in the name of making money by the fact that he promoted himself heavily as a protector of animals on one hand, but on the other hand he put animals under huge un-necessry stress and fear in the name of commercialism, and it’s for these reasons why I supported all that Germaine Greer was ‘gutsy’ enough to come out publicly and say.

It’s very sad that a young man in the prime of life should have it taken away from him and it’s doubly sad that he leaves behind two very young children and a young wife, but he did know, and he did run the risk by putting himself in dangerous situations with wild animals. It’s obvious that the Sting Ray felt threatened by his close presence or else this usually docile animal would never have struck out, and this sends a loud message to those who would venture into the realms of wild animals in the name of commercialism, because all that which wild animals want to happen is what we all want to happen, and indeed we all say it often enough, and that’s to be able to live our lives in peace without stress, fear or harassment.

Kind Regards,

Sally.

[Merinda]

Sally ,

I understand and agree with you in part however Germaine Greer could have made that statement when Irwin was alive.

I have no time for Germaine Greer or anything she has to say , if she had her way all men would be jailed for just looking at a woman.
She is destructive with what she says , when you have the "WHY SHOULD WOMEN PUT UP WITH MEN" and "MEN ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN YOU FOR ONE THING" attitude broadcast accross the nation then we have a problem.
Its hard enough trying to get a relationship started but even harder when Women are taught this crap from this low-life individual.

End off topic rant

[Sally]

Hi Merinda,

I think we’re getting off onto a different tangent when we go into the strong feminism fields of Germaine Greer’s thinking and in no way am I a fan of hers’, her one eyed tunnel vision aspects of her hatred for men shows extreme bias, but in this instance, what she said in relation to Steve Irwin’s treatment of animals at times I agree with wholeheartedly.

As for her saying it when he was alive, well who knows she may well have, but anything said like that whilst the man was alive was not news due to society’s attitude. His death was universally a ‘biggy’ for the newshounds, so anything said positive or negative was ‘sellable’ by them at that time, and their hunger for tid bits showed through bright and bold.

I certainly voiced my opinion many times over the years whilst he was alive in regards to his cruel treatment at times of defenseless animals, and whilst I’m no ‘Greenie’, I am a defender of anyone or anything which is harassed or treated badly because I well know how it feels.
I was howled down whenever I voiced my opinion in regards to his treatment of animals, but so be it, someone has to speak up whenever there is cruelty, be it to humans or other animals. I wrote him several letters expressing my dismay, but whether his publicity people ever let him see them I’ll never know, I never received a reply to them. People usually only ever want plaudits, not negative comments, especially showmen.

Anyway, many people loved the man, others had reservations, but that’s life.

I hope things are better for you, keep smiling.

Kind Regards,

Sally.

[Merinda]

Thanks Sally ,

I see where your comming from.

[Janet_Johnson]

Thanks Sally ,

I see where your comming from.

So do I, cheers!