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Steve Irwin, better know as the Crocodile
Hunter on the cable channel Animal Planet, has died while filming in
the Great Barrier Reef.
Steve Irwin died at approximately 11 a.m. on Monday, September 4, 2006.
Irwin was struck in the chest by a stingray's barb, piercing his heart. Irwin died almost immediately.
Irwin was filming a
scuba diving documentary from a Port Douglas charter boat with his own
production company. The incident occurred while scuba diving at Bat
Reef at Low Isles, off the Port Douglas holiday resort just north of
Cairns, Queensland. A rescue diver brought him up and emergency first
response was sought. An emergency helicopter was called but he was
deceased.
John Lever, an Australian wildlife expert said, "Stingrays are normally
passive creatures and it just sounds like extraordinarily bad luck."
His wife was traveling and touring Tasmania and was informed of his death by Tasmanian Police.
The Discovery Channel is planning to create the Steve Irwin Crocodile
Hunter Fund, which it expects to affectionately call "The Crikey Fund."
The Fund will be established to honor Steve's passion and exuberance
for conservation and the animal kingdom and is expected to provide a
way for people from across the globe to make contributions in Steve's
honor to support wildlife protection, education and conservation. The
Fund will provide support to Steve's Australia Zoo in Beewah,
Australia, as well as educational support for his children, Bindi and
Bob Irwin.
The Discovery Channel will also rename the garden space in front of
it's world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, the "Steve Irwin
Memorial Garden."
Steve Irwin was the world's best-known wildlife crusader. As the
Crocodile Hunter, Steve became a household name, and his television
adventures have been seen around the globe. In 2002, he starred in the
feature film, The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course and appeared on
numerous popular television talk shows. Throughout his high
international profile, Steve's commitment to wildlife always remained
paramount.
His passion to protect the world's most endangered and threatened
species could be traced back to his parents, conservationists and
animal lovers Bob and Lyn Irwin, the founders of Australia Zoo. As a
young boy, Steve helped Bob rescue and relocate crocodiles in the
rivers of North Queensland. The father- and-son team was proud to say
that over 100 crocodiles living at Australia Zoo were either caught by
them or bred and raised in the zoo.
In his 20s, Steve volunteered his services to the Queensland
government's rogue crocodile relocation program, living alone for years
in the mosquito- infested creeks, rivers and mangroves of North
Queensland.
In 1992, Steve and his friend, television producer John Stainton,
created a distinctive new style of wildlife documentary. That one-hour
program, The Crocodile Hunter, featured Steve, his new wife, American
wildlife caretaker Terri Raines, and the animals of Far North
Queensland. Steve's boisterous charm, unconventional style and
extraordinary daring, combined with Terri's wit and composure in
dangerous situations and their amazingly close encounters with such
potentially deadly creatures as crocodiles, venomous snakes and
spiders, made The Crocodile Hunter a worldwide hit.
In addition to The Crocodile Hunter series, Steve and Terri filmed 53
episodes of the Emmy Award-nominated Croc Files, The Crocodile Hunter
Diaries, a behind-the-scenes look at Steve's daily life at Australia
Zoo, and New Breed Vets, a series highlighting the cutting-edge
veterinarian science.
As testimony to their commitment to conservation and the environment,
Steve and Terri purchased over 60,000 acres of wildlife-sensitive land
and worked the rehabilitation and breeding of some of the world's most
endangered animals. At Australia Zoo, they established a breeding
program to help such endangered species as the southern cassowary,
koala, giant land tortoise, Fijian crested iguana and Komodo dragon, to
name just a few. The zoo, a dedicated conservation area covering over
250 acres, earned Australia's most prestigious tourism award as "Major
Tourist Attraction" for 2003. Steve was recently awarded the title
"2004 Queensland Australian of the Year."
A tribute site GoodByeSteveIrwin.com has been set up by and for fans wishing to pay their respects.
Those wishing to make a memorial contribution to the Australia Zoo may do so here.
Find more great stories in the OCEAN ARCHIVES >
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