That is what I get for making an assumption (re R.Fox). I knew the police officer that gave him the police escort to the hospital. He said he would "not have given a penny for his life".

This same officer later had experiences with the Great White over at Port Lincoln (South Australia). Out in the water, one swam so close by him he could have tickled it on the belly. Since then, he has a deal with the sharks. He stays out of their ocean, and they stay out of his shower. The deal still stands solid to this day.

Irwin started with reptiles when he was young, and obviously developed such a passion from there. This was the motivation behind the 'baby' incident. Trying to pass on his passion and understanding.

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and here is proof of love: try cleaning up after my animals

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Might I ask how many animals you have?

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He knew and understood animals on their terms .... they are just what they are and perfect at it.

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That is the important thing here. Their terms. All of that is so very well said Leviathan. Very well said.

I remember John Ritter... not well, however.

Whilst Irwin is no longer here to drive the conservation push as he had been, his demise will still have positive repercussions. Whilst the good may not be as strong as whilst alive, right now the world is hearing about him and the ideals he stood for. There is good in that.

I presently have seven animals discounting animals that are feeders (like crickets, mice, goldfish, etc). I've had well over twenty animals at one time before, and probably kept around 50-75 animals over the course of my life.

Some find it hard to imagine, but whether an animal is "my" animal or just one I find, for the time I am in contact with any animal, its well being is my priority. There are those who have seen me wade waist deep just to lift a river rock to replace a single, common little salamander right where I found it rather than toss it in the water. I've had snakes hold an excrutiating bite on me for ten minutes while I carefully opened its jaws, because I would not risk injuring it just to save myself some pain. I've even had a snake that I adopted as a rescue animal that was so aggressive that I had to hold his head and allow him to constrict the holy hell out of me while my partner cleaned his cage, then unwind him and put him back in the cage.

What I've been given in return is worth far more than that. I am privileged to be as a brother to these animals, to see them as they really are and be one of them. When my cat purrs in my lap or my dog licks my face, I do not think, "And they are now just like me," I think, "And I am now one of them."

What wonderful relationships you have had with the animals you have had contact with. If only others could have the same respect.

I know personally, I feel closer with the animals I have had over the years, than with any human. When you have the right attitude towards an animal, as you said, the relationship is something far greater than most could ever realise.

Thank you for sharing that Leviathan.

A sad day indeed. He will be missed. I have never been an expert of animals. I did enjoy learning from his programs. He was an entertaining gentleman. R.I.P Steve Irwin.

I actually knew about Rodney Fox because if you read about sharks, he will come up. As soon as I mastered reading Dr. Seuss books at age 2-3, I went straight to books on nature. First it was dinosaurs (mostly books written for an adult audience), and then reptiles and sharks. My childhood idea of good reading was a field guide, and memorizing vital stats and taxonomy trees (Warlock Daark: this is why you will never get a taxonomy riddle past me ).

Where I grew up is, in a sense, not entirely unlike parts of Australia in terms of natural habitat. It was a flat desert populated by creatures and plants most of which can hurt you. Even the grass had thorns. You either learn to respect that, or you conflict with it. I chose to respect it.

>> Tourism Queensland spokeswoman said the death was shocking <<

Hardly a great shock. He was always going to die in the jaws of one of the dangerous animals from which he derived a masochistic delight in taunting and teasing in their own habitat.

He died doing what he enjoyed and the masochist went out the way he would have wanted.

Hail the memory of Steve Irwin, provocateur of dangerous animals.



Edit: Hardly an accident either. Going by his usaual modus operandi I bet he was poking the creature with a stick!

Is this true? I can't find any other new sources.

It's all over every major news outlet. Yahoo, Google news search, Reuters...definitely true, definitely confirmed.

Well the usual area for a stingray wound is obviously on the feet or legs. Usually this is because someone accidentally steps on one. The fact that he was stung in the chest is rare, so of course one does wonder how exactly this occurred.

Oh, Thats really sad. I loved him. I used to think he was mad - But no, just passionate.

I understood him because I'm "crazy" in much the same way. I may never be willing to tail a mamba and you won't catch me tackling saltwater crocodiles, but plenty of people think my pets are just as crazy, and certainly plenty of people would find my kinship with animals crazy.

I'm sorry to hear this. Steve's radiance was overwhelming, and he had a rare privilege of making a living out of a calling, not a proverbial job.


It was weird seeing his actual age was 44, due to his "aura" of child's honesty and opennes.


I remember him as a guest on a TV show with his at the time 3 or 4 year old daughter: the confidence and natural disposition of that little girl around animals was a pleasure to watch.


Someone around here has a signature: Remember to live the life you have chosen , or similar.

I am sure Steve never had a problem with this.

I think it has to do with the kind of man he was.

It was a bit of a shock when old George Burns finally bought it, but who should be surprised that a 101 year old man who was never without a cigar and a drink should die? Yet it was surprising, somehow you expected that old coot to live forever.

Steve Irwin was like that for the same reason. He loved living, and it seemed like he was impervious to risk. It was like his attitude made him invincible.

I might point out that although he was killed by an animal, it wasn't exactly the "expected" method. He wasn't mauled by an alligator or failed to get antivenin in time after a cobra bite, he wound up as a rare victim of an animal that is almost never fatal. It's like a bomb squad technician who is killed by lightning. You don't quite see it coming.

I never liked his over-the-top performances on television but I admired him for getting people interested into animals. He was so passionate about animals, even the 'icky reptiles', and I will always remember that being reptile-crazy myself.