Crikey! Farewell Croc Hunter

Good morning,

Just moments ago, I heard news that Steve Irwin, aka "The Crocodile Hunter", passed away after receiving a stingray barb to the chest.

He was instrumental in developing the Australia Zoo into a major tourist attraction, also receiving limited attention here in the United States for his "Crocodile Hunter" television show on the Animal Planet channel.

Most recently, his popularity in the United States began to decline after he was shown teasing and feeding a snapping crocodile with his infant son tucked under one arm (as shown in the picture at left). After the incident, he issued a semi-apology that didn't go over very well with many of the offended viewers. Needless to say, the damage was done.

Personally, I never cared much for Steve Irwin, as I saw some antics to be needlessly pushing the boundaries of safety, and not very respectful to the animals. The incident with the croc and his kid just convinced me I was right.

I don't mean to speak badly of the departed, I have respect for the man as he did well or himself, gaining respect in Australia and other parts of the world. I sure wouldn't wish anything like this to happen to anyone, but my words just tell the truth of how I regarded him.

Mr. Irwin was declared dead on the scene after being struck in the chest by a stingray's barbed tail. While it is unusual for someone to die so soon after being stung, it is possible the toxins were close enough to his heart to bring about cardiac arrest or the onset of shock which could inhibit respiratory function. The incident was ruled an accident, as the singray was most likely startled into reacting, the location of the wound shows Mr. Irwin was probably swimming on top of the ray while it was attempting to hide itself in the sandy bottom, he could have made some sort of accidental contact with the animal.

My only hope is that Mr. Irwin was giving the stingray all the respect it deserved, and not handling at the time, though he was known for his very much hands-on approach to dealing with the animals he'd encounter.

My prayers go out for his family and fans who mourn his passing.