Croc hunter dead???

[transDiMenTional]

LINK

I just heard, Is it true?

Some how i always knew he was going to get killed.

Edited September 4, 2006 by Jeffery Jones

[PD.]

Yes, tis true.

just heard myself....

my sister loved him, only because of the cheesy aussie stereotype that he was.

Edited September 4, 2006 by Passive Daemon

[occidentalis]

Oh. What a pity.

[spice]

Its a huge huge shame, he has done so much for Australia's image, our tourism, and most importantly our wildlife.

RIP

[Dodie]

Such a shame to hear the news..

I remember seeing him at his zoo, riding around with his daughter on a dirtbike with a big grin waving to everyone...he had his daughter sing a song to raise money for charity too...what a character he was..he also didnt let fame and fortune get to his head..

RIP..

[naja naja]

O.K. How 100% is this? I have never heard of anyone dieing from a stingray before.

I have been stung myself and although painfiul, I can't imagine it could be fatal unless he had an anafalactic allergic reaction.

It just doesn't seem accurate. Rays have never known to kill from the barb, it just seems too suspicious that Irwin was the first to find out, Not a random boat trawler man who touches thousands of rays a week.

[transDiMenTional]

what if the barb was to pierce his chest and vital organs?

[naja naja]

Sky news says it punctured his lung, I still find that hard to believe, but say it did happen, why'd he die. Especially so quick? A punctured lung shouldn't be fatal if u have help. Many people survive punctured lungs, from bullet wounds. This would've been a nice surgical puncture, far less blood vesel damage, so he shouldn't have drowned on blood either. Maybe he drowned from sea water. But there's just a few facts that don't go together.

I also doub't the ability of a ray to puncture that deep. The only deaths I have ever heard of from rays is when Manta's have smothered and drowned curious swimmers who thought they were friendly.

[naja naja]

O.K. sky news seems to be pretty sure of it. They say it punctured his chest causing heart failure. It is only known to have ever happened twice B4 in Australia. If it had stung him anywhere else, he'd still be alive.

Annoys me though, now they are saying he dies in a sting ray ATTACK!

R.I.P. Irwin

Not fair to his kids.

Edited September 4, 2006 by naja naja

[wandjina]

How sad. Like many Australians I often used to take the piss out of Irwin, until a close mate of mine pulled me up. He knew him, and apparently Steve was a truly genuine, kind-hearted person who stood by his convictions.

Very sad.

[transDiMenTional]

Seems to be true... My heart goes out to his family esp his young daughter.

[AndyAmine.]

 

Thats very sad.

 

[Torsten]

apparently Steve was a truly genuine, kind-hearted person who stood by his convictions.

Yep, charging 150K for filming a public service announcement seems to be pretty generous to me

[occidentalis]

It seems we have a thread full of Irwin lovers

Well I'll explain my sarcastic comment above

I watched his show once - it would have made me wet my pants laughing if it hadn't made me nauseous at the thought that so many people were watching and enjoying. The guy goes out into the bush, torments any poor animal he stumbles across, then says "Crikey! This ones a grumpy bugger!" when it responds aggressively. That's a great way to interact with the environment - prod it and see if it bites.

His opinions on conservation were about as intelligent (with some exceptions). He must have been one of Australia's only 'environmentalists' who received invitations to BBQs at the lodge - his position was so mainstream Howard welcomed his support.

He may have been the nicest guy in the world on a personal level - and my genuine sympathies to his family and friends. But his public persona was that of a dickhead. I don't think we've lost much as a nation.

[narayan]

I find steve irwin to be totally annoying but you gotta admire what he's done for Australian wildlife. Pretty sad he had a young family as well, RIP mate

[sobriquet]

+1 for the thought that he came out every time as a total dickhead as a public persona.

Some might say it was coming to him and I mean the way he died has to be about the most freakish way to die really maybe a 1 in 33,000 shot even.

Sad for his family though. But he was a risk taker, and you can't expect to win 100% of the time. C'est la vie.

[Torsten]

I find steve irwin to be totally annoying but you gotta admire what he's done for Australian wildlife. Pretty sad he had a young family as well, RIP mate

Please remind us! Just how has he helped australian wildlife other than for his own profit?

I am not having a go at him here, as I really don't know. I keep abreast of conservation issues and his name really doesn't feature much other than as a highly paid 'spokesperson'. And yes, I am aware of the croc trophy hunting proposal he managed to get canned, so I give him credit for that.

Popularising wildlife is a double edged sword too. Locally, just how much damage is wildlife tourism doing to habitat? And overseas, just how much interest in australian wildlife has he stimulated in collectors who are happy to buy smuggled animals? People who do real conservation work are rarely TV stars.

[Gollum]

Having worked at oz zoo for 18months and meeting steve several times in and out of work i have to say that no matter how much of a dickhead people thought he was his passion in life was animals and his family.

Today we have lost a probably one of australias biggest conservation fighters. Steve poured 95% of his money back into the environment. And yeah he probably did charge 150k for some public service announcement. But chances are that that money went directly into back into a worthwhile cause to conserve the environment.

Who takes up his fight now??

Dickhead or not, a family has lost a loved one today.

Rest in peace Steve.

[occidentalis]

And yes, I am aware of the croc trophy hunting proposal he managed to get canned, so I give him credit for that.

This is one of the things that I have a problem with.

IMO there is no problem with trophy hunting when carried out sustainably - of course the definition of sustainably can cause some problems, but crocs (esp. salties) are not in short supply. The carefully controlled hunting of a small number could generate significant income for conservation of other species and ecosystems. The only real valid argument against it, assuming it was done properly, would be one of complete vegetarianism. And I would be very surprised if Steve was a vegetarian .

[Rev]

How sad. Like many Australians I often used to take the piss out of Irwin, until a close mate of mine pulled me up. He knew him, and apparently Steve was a truly genuine, kind-hearted person who stood by his convictions.

Very sad.

yeah and insists on zero tolerance drug testing for MJ in his workplace as a forum member has testified.

You know Both george bush and osama bin laden stand by their convictions too. and to their supporters they are kind hearted saintly figures.

as for the above i'm with creach on that issue. Steve was somewhat an impediment to science based rather than emotive based conservation policy

too bad about his kids not having a dad is all i can say in remorse

Edited September 4, 2006 by Rev

[apothecary]

Didn't he literally spend all of his money buying uninhabitable rainforest to make sure nobody would cut it down and make it habitable?

I thought he was a jerk, but as usual, facts stand in the way of what we like to believe.

Personally, I think he had it coming. I don't mean that in a bad way, like "he was a jerk so he got what he deserved", but anyone who spends that much time around animals known to cause AT MINIMUM grevious bodily harm as a natural function, is statistically either gonna end up mauled or dead.

At least they can have an open casket at his funeral if they want, a crocodile wouldn't give the same luxury.

Who cares if he's so mainstream that Johnny BigBrows loves him, nobody else in this country who made anywhere near that much money off ecotourism/docos/etc put it back into where it was needed like he did.

His actions speak louder than words, so I tip my hat or pour a 40 to my homie or puff a cone or whatever,

RIP Mr Irwin, you had it comin.

[apothecary]

yeah and insists on zero tolerance drug testing for MJ in his workplace as a forum member has testified

You know Both george bush and osama bin laden stand by their convictions too. and to their supporters they are kind hearted saintly figures.

too bad about his kids not having a dad is all i can say in remorse

Firstly, and I bet you agree on this Rev, if staff you are responsible for are working in a potentially lethal enviroment, you want them sharp.

I honestly have nothing against zero tolerance drug testing in situations like that. Nobody wants to see someones hand ripped off by a croc 'cos they had a few too many cones before work and was a bit slow.

GWBush and Osama bin Laden both have convictions and they both stand by them, but their convictions are FUCKED, so your example doesn't sell (at least to me).

[-YT-]

lol funny how death stalks as all the time yet nobody blinks an eye till some high profile celebrity bites the bullet. Apparently he was taken by a Cowstail Stingray, heard a guy on triple J this arvo chatting about how a trawler captain was also stabbed through the heart by one. He was saying one of the 1st things he learnt on the trawler was how to handle the stingrays as they pick them up in the nets all the time. One of only two if i remember correctly of stingrays that can lift the tail/stinger over there bodies and use with lethal force and aim.. That said Steve knew the danger and acted accordingly he knew the associated risks involved including death...

"The Cowtail Stingray has a disc that is slightly wider than long. It has small eyes and a very wide interorbital space. The tail is about twice the length of the disc. The upper surface of the disc is a uniform grey, brown or black. The lower surface is white. The tail is depressed basally becoming more cylindrical distally. The broad skin flap and tip of the tail are black.

It grows to a total length of at least 3 m and width of 1.8 m.

This species occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-West Pacific. It can be found in muddy and sandy substrates in estuarine mangrove areas and inshore waters down to about 60 m in depth.

In Australia it is known from the central coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country and south to the central coast of New South Wales"

[incognito]

R.I.P Steve Irwin.

He was a true conservationist, and im sure that his legacy will continue through his wife and kids.

I was truly sad when i heard the news ,and saddened worse by the fact that jokes where being cracked as soon as the announcement was made over the radio.My heart goes out to his family, such a tragic thing to happen after fathers day.

After watching him catch spitting cobras sans eye protection though, you have to admit that one can only push the envelope so far!!

So to a passionate family man whos heart was REALLY and honestly in his work,

Adios steve, u will be missed!! .

Edited September 4, 2006 by jono

[mr b.caapi]

i have found some of the above comments to be very cold. this is someones life we are talking about. have a bit of respect. he has left behind a very young family and it is a crying shame. he may not have appealed to alot of people, but so what. in life it doesnt matter how much you try and be accepted by members of the public you are always going to be "not accepted " by someone.

steve, rest in peace mate. and keeps the tears clear from your vision when you are overlooking your little babies and guiding them through their lives.