Steve Irwin

I think this topic needs to be summed up and ended. To each their own opinion as that is what is natural in the free world.

Farewell Steve Irwin, you were human and made some mistakes, some graver than others, but you dedicated your life to the animals on this Earth and for that you should be remembered.

Tink :)

I have found out yesterday while watching a tribute to Steve Irwin on Animal Planet containing the show titled "Crocodile Hunter Confessions" that I was mistaken in what I understood about "the Baby Bob Incident".

As my original post shows, I had the mistaken belief that it was an American Alligator that was involved because I only saw one still photo that was put on the net just after the incident happened. That particular photo made the crocodile LOOK like an American Alligator. The zoo had a pair of Alligators donated to them prior to the Baby Bob Incident so I [i]assumed[/i] it was a 'gator since that is what the particular photo [b]I[/b] saw made it look like. [You know what ASS-U-ME~ing does! ;) ] I wish I had a link to it but I do not. :(

Please accept my apologies for that mistake??? It just goes to show two things: #1. Every time I break one of my cardinal rules, I wind up eating crow (at the very LEAST) for it. In this case I'm eating a large dish of crow over not fully researching a subject before posting about it. I have a pet peeve about posters who post before researching what they post about. #2. Looks CAN be decieving! (.....To err is human, to REALLY screw things up requires the use of a computer!!! ;) )

I've been researching the web for several hours now trying to find a link to "Crocodile Hunter Confessions" so that you all could watch it for yourselves. It's [b][u]EXTREMELY[/u][/b] enlightening!!!! This is a link to very short snippets from Animal Planet's 'Tribute' to Steve:

http://animal.discovery.com/beyond/player.html?clik=animal_leftnav

Unfortunately, I couldn't find the whole video available for viewing online. Evidently one must buy a copy of it or find/wait for it to come on TV (most likely Animal Planet or The Discovery Channel) to watch.

At:
http://animal.discovery.com/tvlistings/series.jsp?series=105638&gid=14725&channel=APL

it says that the "Crocodile Hunter Tribute" will air again on Sept. 17 & 18. Please, PLEASE, [b][u]PLEASE[/u][/b] watch it!!!! The one I watched yesterday lasted four hours. It was comprised of four different hour long episodes of the "Croc Hunter" series. One of those being "Crocodile Hunter Confessions". If you can't be in front of a TV at that time, then tape it if you can. It's well WORTH it!!!!!

In those four hours you [b][u]WILL[/u][/b] come to a [b][u]MUCH[/u][/b] better understanding of the man that Steve Irwin was!!!!!...like him or not.

I watched Steve's show for YEARS from the time I first discovered it on cable TV. At first, I NEVER missed an episode!!! But in the last few years I've not watched it for one reason or another...mostly because my own life was turned up-side down by the passing of my own husband. This is why I was not up to date on the "Baby Bob" thing. Again, please accept my apologies.

Here is something I found on the net that [b]is[/b] contained within the episode called "Crocodile Hunter Confessions". As I said, I watched this particular episode only yesterday afternoon.

"Irwin, his wife, his long-time friend Wes Mannion and his director/producer John Stainton all claimed that any danger to his son was only a perceived danger and that he was in complete control of the situation. Mannion also noted that there were at least six park employees inside the enclosure further limiting danger, according to Mannion's statement to the program Crocodile Hunter Confessions. Steve and Terri consistently refused to apologize for his actions despite public outcry, by some, both in Australia and abroad. He and Terri both claimed that their children need to be ?croc savvy? in order to be safe living around crocodiles. To critics, Terri rhetorically asked, ?Do I wait until [our children] crawl into a crocodile pen [before teaching them about crocodiles]? Do I wait until a child spills a pan of boiling water on his head before I [introduce] him to a hot stove??

?I'm teaching Bob and Bindi exactly the same way my Dad taught and raised me,? Steve further commented on Crocodile Hunter Confessions."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Irwin#The_.E2.80.9CBaby_Bob.E2.80.9D_Controversy

Ok, now that THAT is taken care of: I [b]STILL [u]vehemently[/u][/b] stand by the [b]REST[/b] of the information of my original post [to which this one is a response] until I find out that I am in deed wrong.

Edited to correct a syntacs error in the bold setting behind the word REST in the previous sentence (It looked like this [b/] instead of the b being behind the / ) and to add some other websites that may be of interest.

http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/crochunter/steve/steve.html

http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/crochunter/steve/tunein.html

http://animal.discovery.com/tvlistings/series.jsp?series=105638&gid=1251&channel=APL

You ALL [b]SHOULD[/b] [have] [b]TRUSTED[/b] Steve Irwin's judgement because he HAS been hurt MANY times during his much too short lifetime by [u]various[/u] animals....[b][u]INCLUDING[/u] [i]crocodilians[/i]!!!!!!!![/b]

"Dee-Dee-Dee" ~ Carlos Mencia

Edited to fix sytax error behind the word "crocodilians" ( it was missing the [ and looked like i/] ).

(jd[b]CLOD[/b] ) I watched Steve's shows from the time they FIRST appeared on cable TV! Up until my husband got sick in 2002 I didn't miss very many episodes at all!!!

You ask what [b]I[/b] have done about conservation? What the [b][u]#311[/u][/b] have [b][u]YOU[/u][/b] done?!?!?!?!?!?

I've done little ...but [b]not by[/b] my own [b]choice!!!!!![/b] What little I [u]have[/u] only been able to do is some animal rescue work ( [b]including[/b] some wildlife, mostly rehab then release) and educating those I come into personal contact with about Mother Nature; That we should NOT be [b]EXPLOITERS[/b] of Her but the[u][i]STEWARDS[/u][/i] of Her truely awesome creations...[b][u]ESPECIALLY[/u][/b] animals... both by caring for our domestic animals CORRECTLY (and AS LONG AS THEY LIVE!!!)[b]and[/b]all the wonderously/beautifully [b]wild[/b] creatures I have knowlege about along with [i]'preaching'[/i] [b]habitat retention[/b] for them!!!! (Look up the words 'steward' and 'stewardship' :| )

The Baby Bob Incident was [b]NOT[/b] just a [i]publicity stunt[/i]!!!!! Steve did [u]EXACTLY[/u] the same 'show' EVERY day. This [b]particular[/b] show was Steve and Terri's way of introducing the world to little Bob and little Bob to crocs. At NO time was that child EVER in ANY danger!!! There were even Buddhists there who Blessed little Bob during the show, sort of like a baptism! If you will actually READ my posts on this particular subject ALONG with the provided links in the second one (AND [b]DO[/b] as I STRONGLY suggest) [above], you just [i][u]might[/u][/i] learn some things... if you're not careful! :|

Aside from obvious [b][u]TRUE[/u][/b] neglect and/or abuse of their kids, WHY [b]shouldn't[/b] parents be able to raise their kids as [b]they[/b] see fit???... And do it without a bunch of nosey-@22ed [i]do-gooders[/i] sticking their BIG [i]schnozzes[/i] where they do [b]NOT[/b] belong????? Those who stick their noses where they don't belong are liable to get those noses chopped OFF!!! (Don't [u]even[/u] get me started on BushCo!!!)

The [b][u]ONLY[/u][/b] [i]reason[/i] Steve "HAD to [i]promise[/i] the Child Protection Services that he would NEVER do" it again is because of [b]STUPID@22ed[/b] [i]laws[/i] pushed by [b]STUPID@22ed[/b] people!!! BTW: There were NO charges pressed, he did NO time and paid NO fines!!!!!

The Irwins had FULL intentions of [b]continuing[/b] the education of their children about wildlife ...and life in [b]general[/b] in the way they saw fit. They simply didn't do it where they could be seen! After all, Steve started Bindi in the EXACT same manner as Bob (just not in front of the world) and Steve, himself, was taught that way by his OWN father! Steve caught his first croc at the age of [b]nine[/b] after accompanying his father on 'hunts' for SEVERAL years prior!!!

Again, you say, >A lot of people could learn a lession from this.< ...I say to that, "INCLUDING YOU!!!" BTW: you can use that computer you have in front of you to start RESEARCHING instead of PLAYING in chat/msg boards!!!

I take life seriously!!!!!

Quit being a "Dee-Dee-Dee". You probably don't know what that is so look up Carlos Mencia and see if you can find out. :|

I'm NOT obsessed with a "figure from a television show"!!!!! I AM, however, '[i]obsessed'[/i] with the MESSAGE he tried to convey....just as HE was.!!!!

DOH!!!!!!

You certainly are proving your point.

You're not obsessed.

Your excessive use of exclamation points is quite creative.

Just one question..are the walls where you live padded?

JD..it wasn't a STUNT. It was important. The fate of the ENTIRE world rested on Steve Irwin and now he's gone.

It's probably all your fault. You're so insensitive.

After all, I was the idiot who took a 60 mile "stroll" to raise breast cancer awareness. I get it.

What I would suggest to you is that you are coming across way more strongly than people can relate to here. While I saw that level of passion at the Animal Planet boards, it is perhaps more than a technically based forum is "hearing" well.

I would also suggest that possibly you ARE having some seperation issues here. I know that you lost your husband tragically young and I think I am hearing you identify closely with Terri Irwin. I can understand that- I identify very closely with any cancer survivor instinctively.

You aren't being heard here because you ARE so passionate. I am not saying that is bad, just saying that it is having a negative impact on your ability to communicate with this audience.

I think that this site, http://community.discovery.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/9691947048
may be a better place for you to discuss your feelings- obviously very strong- and find the millions of people all over the world that share them.

Peace to you.

IMHO (based on comments I have heard and read), more aussies will care about the passing of Peter Brock than Steve Irwin ... Yep, he (PB) was a "small time racing car driver", but to most aussies (and not just the petrol heads) he epitomised the spirit of trying your damnedest to win but always within the spirit of fair play. Steve Irwin was more famous on US cable TV than here in Oz and that's simply because of the cringe factor - a lot of us cringed at the thought that we may all be seen as Crikey shouting, khaki dressed, crocodile wrestlers. Unfortunately, Steve Irwin's contribution to environmentalism is only just being realised by a wider audience but the fact remains that his methods were definitely unorthodox and appealed to a specific target audience.

I recognise that Peter Brock was a sportsman and that many people don't see sporting acumen as measuring on the richter scale of life's achievements but for me Peter Brock was a true aussie icon - not a manufactured product of cable TV.

Oh and yes - Peter Brock had his dastardly moment too - having separated from his partner of some 35 years last year(they never actually married, but Bev took his name), a lot of people felt that he was far from perfect, but that just showed him to be human with normal human frailities.

At the end of their lives both Peter Brock and Steve Irwin have stamped their marks in the sands of people's minds - it's just that one's passing was felt more personally by aussies than the other (again my opinion).

I see you had been unable to see the good things I said about Steve and his works through the foaming and all.

I do a lot for nature. I donate to organizations that protect habitat. I walk in the woods with my boys regularly, leaving it better than when we went in, if we ever encounter litter and such.

I teach them respect for the land and the animals that live there.

I also do something called "Thinning the herd", which keeps animals from dying of starvation. Get it? I keep animals from dying of hunger!

So you are going to say there was a specific law saying you can not feed an aligator while holding an infant son, or is it more general about not putting your children in harms way?

[b]A-l-l-i-g-a-t-o-r-s a-r-e d-a-n-g-e-r-o-u-s.[/b]

That means having an infant within three feet of it's mouth is dangerous to the infant, crew on the side to MINIMIZE the risk or not.

Believe me, you don't want to be the one to ever put my kids in harms way. Lots of things I tolerate and let slide, but you or anyone else would come up on the short end of the stick if you tried it. I personally do more for childrens organizations in the area. I have hosted fun raisers for both Toys-for-tots and coats-for-kids. I regularly donate to the local womans shelter. I also ALWAYS donate to the cancer society and have for decades.

I have learned another thing in life. People are more important than animals. animals are food. Tasty food.

did you see this yet?

http://www.hvideos.com/videos/TV/Stewe_Irwin_RIP

flash is not a supported format on my systems.
and the page istelf was p[retty blank, the content being generated by javascript never gets created on my browser.

Which one of you is responsible for the 6 dead tailless rays found up [b]FNQ[/b] a couple of days ago? :p

I take it that one of you will be selling these Tails on E-Bay as the Tail that Killed Irwin right? :)

Col ]:)

Check my name, recall where I used to work many years ago. I've been horribly imprinted.

I would NEVER have made it in the Mouseketeers. Why? Because there are days when I'm NOT so nice.

Besides, I can't spell Mouseketeers correctly...

it was supposed to be sxty!

now I'm gonna have to kill the suplier for breach of contract...

ohh, I know, I'll feed him to the Alaskan King Crab, then not only will he be gone, but the evidence will be in people's sewers around the world.

I've read this whole thread, and I am a little disappointed that this group of intelligent people can't see the big picture, and what a truly large loss this is for the world.

1) Steve was reckless but also highly skilled in his "field". The same could be said of anyone who experiences the immense joy of an activity that an adrenaline junky craves, beit chasing crocs, or skiing down vertical cliffs, or bungie jumping, or other "extreme" pastimes that make one feel alive. The only difference here is that Steve's immense joy and fascination was wildlife of all kinds, but especially the dangerous, often misunderstood ones.

2) The episode with little Bob was unfortunate. A very confident, very skilled, very active man went overboard and combined his two biggest joys at one time... crocs and his firstborn son. I would wager almost anything in the fact that Steve had no interest in "publicity" only in showing off his pride and joy to everyone who would look.

3) Steve had a joy and enthusiasm that at times was a little over the top, but was always genuine. He took a now familiar and boring public crusade... "animal conservation"... and made it fresh, interesting, funny, and very, very informative. Everything my 10 year old knows about animal conservation, he learned from Steve. All the other programs would hold his interest for a few minutes, and he would be bored. Watching Steve, he was glued to the set with a grin, waiting for the next heart-stopping act that Steve would pull.

The world lost one of the most enthusiastic, eccentric, genuine, caring conservationists that there's been in a long time to something that we probably all felt would happen sooner or later, but hoped that it wouldn't.

Animal conservation lost one of it's champions that day...