For Pet's Sake Column

This is one column I never thought I would be writing. Unless you’ve been stranded on a desert island for the past week, you probably know that Steve Irwin, the famed “Crocodile Hunter” from down under, has died. I shed crocodile tears when I read the news: On Monday, September 4, while filming a documentary off the coast of Australia , Irwin was struck in the heart by – of all things – a stingray.

It’s ironic, really. Steve, who often described himself as a “Wildlife Warrior,” was killed by this most unlikely of creatures. It would have at least been more plausible to learn that Steve had died from a crocodile attack or the venom of a poisonous snake. But, no, it was the normally innocuous stingray, whose barb pierced Steve directly in the heart that ultimately brought down the man who was larger than life to millions of fans worldwide.

When I first heard of The Crocodile Hunter, a popular show on the Animal Planet television network, I thought, Oh no, someone is killing crocodiles and turning them into purses and shoes. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The truth is that Steve Irwin battled to save the scaly creatures from exploitation and extinction.

Early on, Steve’s father, Bob Irwin, began teaching his young son about wildlife – “crocs” in particular. As an adult, Steve worked at the Australia Zoo (www.wildlifewarriors.org.au), which his parents founded in 1970 to promote conversation through education. Steve regularly regaled audiences with his over-the-top antics and let’s-go-get-‘em attitude. Watching him on TV often reminded me of Tom Cruise jumping up and down on Oprah’s couch during the notorious “I love Katie SO MUCH” episode.

The animated Aussie had some infamous moments over the years. Who could forget the time he pulled a ‘Michael Jackson’ in 2003 when he fed raw meat to a hungry crocodile before a stunned audience – his one-month old son, Bob, well, bobbing in his arms? Still, for all his attention-grabbing stunts, Steve wanted nothing more than to help the animals he had revered since early childhood.

“My job, my mission for being on this planet, is to save wildlife,” Steve said in a 2004 interview with Larry King.

Steve died doing what he loved doing – sharing the magic and mystery of slippery, slithering creatures of the wild with his beloved fans. Steve leaves behind his wife, Terri, and two young children: daughter, Bindi and son, Bob.

Steve, we will miss your enthusiasm, your accent, your passion. We’ll even miss those khaki outfits you always wore. You were truly Australia ’s greatest ambassador.

G’Bye, Mate.

When she’s not watching reruns of The Crocodile Hunter, Karen is hunting down stories for her next column. Have an animal tale to tell? Email Karen at karenleestevens@cox.net .