Steve Irvin, the insanely popular Crocodile Hunter, was killed today off the coast of Australia, by a stingray barb through the heart. Irvin, 44, was the man who made “Crikey!” a catchphrase and his wide-eyed enthusiasm for all manner of wild and dangerous animals, reptiles, amphibians and fish will not be soon forgotten.
Despite the weirdness of someone deliberately wanting to get that close and personal with animals that would just as soon eat you as let you pet them, Irwin did manage to communicate some of the essential nature of the animal kingdom. That is as good an epitaph as you can get.
He was shooting footage for a new series called “Ocean’s Deadliest” for the Animal Planet network in the US. His death also brings up a small observation: Animals don’t necessarily like human presence in their environment.
At best, wild animals tolerate us. Humans should remember that we are guests when we go into places where undomesticated wildlife has the run of the joint. As guests that means we don’t leave anything behind except footprints and take out nothing but photos or memories.
RoadDave 