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Comments

  • Manta Ray barb through the heart! Was he wearing a wet suit at the time? I don't normally watch his programs, but I remeber seeing clips of him scuba diviving in a T shirt and shorts. A wet suit could have afforded him some protection from the poisonous barb.
  • he was mental and gave all aussies a bad reputation because of his outrageous accent but I don't think he deserved this. a character he was for sure. i think it's quite sad.
  • Crikey thats a shame. Really enjoyed watching Croc Hunter. RIP
  • Never really knew what to make of him.

    Made a lot of money; was definately a bonus to conservation; but the persona was awkward.

    As for the means.....crikey! Ihave never heard of a death by stingray. A direct hit that put a hole in his heart; unbelievably unlucky.

    The really sad bit is that somehow the news travelled so fast that we heard it in my office only about half an hour after he passed. There is speculation that his wife - who was trekking in Tassie - hadn't been told before the rest of the country found out.
  • Damn, I was just now told about this.

    I liked watching his shows.
    The guy had some great enthusiasm.

    RIP
  • Steve was absolutley fearless with our most dangerous species. Crawling in the mud among bid crocs, jumping on their backs, wrestling with pythons, etc. etc.

    And it as all genuine. Usually the only safeguards he had was extra observers watching his back in case some jaws looked like attacking him from behind.

    From what I understand of the barbs on a ray's tail these are designed to penetrate like a dagger and a wet suit might not have made much difference.

    It's a sad loss and I'm sorry for his family.

    Spin
  • Wetsuit would've made no difference at all. The way the barbs are, it's getting the bloody thing out is where the damage is usually done. Although if as reported it went straight into his heart he was fucked from the jump. When I first heard the report I thought, Jesus, I bet some cranky old bloody croc has bitten him in half, but a bloody stingray. Just proves you don't have to be dead to be stiff.

    Hey RJ, I never realised he had an accent???? My old man used to talk the same way.
  • Sympathy for his family, of course, but he confirmed himself as a moron when he took his baby into the croc compound (with a chicken in the other hand!) Apparently, he saw no possibility that he could have tripped.

    Interesting to see if the marine footage is ever released - what money he was handling the ray?

    Best intentions, conservation, blah, blah but he made himself very rich by exploiting wildlife in a cretinous manner. Jumping into swamps and shouting is not my idea of responsible conservation. What does it teach children about dealing with animals?
  • Oh stop beating around the bush! What do you really think?

    Apparently the footage is to be destroyed at the request of the family once the Coroner is finished with it. Let's see if that is still their wish once the emotion has gone and the inquest is wrapped up.

    He wasn't handling it they say. But there was a cameraman in front of the ray and he came over the top of it. Easy to imagine that the critter thought it was being trapped.

    The Queensland Premier has jumped on the bandwagon offering a State Funeral which is a little over the top. The family has declined.


    The jokes have been pretty good if anyone has seen them. The new Irwin Suncream (stops harmful rays), etc.
  • Jeez Viges, who'd've thought you and Germaine Greer would team up. That whole baby in the croc compound thing was blown up by media f$#kwits for their own ratings. those very same media outfits here are now running "Steve Irwin Tribute' shows. Hypocritical motherf#%&ers. They can go shit intheir hands and clap as far as I'm concerned.

    The man did more for wildlife in his short time than most in their lifetime. He has the respect of even your very own David Attenborough. Sure the bloke could be a bit over the top at times, but in years gone by they called that passion.
  • I feel very sorry for his children although they will have been sufficiently brainwashed to believe its OK because he died 'doing what he loved'.

    Oz, how can walking into a croc enclosure with your baby under your arm be sensationalised any further?!

    I'm all in favour of passion. So too respect for animals. Attenborough is passionate, respectful and doesn't anthropomorphise/sentimentalise as so many of the 'new wave' do.
  • Wow, not a good month for local ICONS.

    Just reported that Peter Brock has been killed in a rally accident in Perth.

    Brockie was a giant in touring cars for many years for Holden, and for a time, with Volvo. Did a lap around Eastern Creek with him in the turbo Volvo on a coporate thing once (got a photo too!).

    Brock won Bathurst a record 9 times, including once in the Group C days where he had a two lap lead but still insisted on setting the lap record on the final lap.

    Peter Perfect they called him for his ability to hit the apex every time.
  • Unbelievable, Brockie!

    Just heard the breaking news on the radio whilst driving home.

    I'm sure a few famous Aussies will be denouncing their Icon status now. Things happen in threes....




    [Edited on 8-9-06 by SuperRoo]
  • Terrible news.

    Great driver who I was lucky to see at Goodwood less than a week ago.
  • Assoc Press:

    STINGRAYS KILLED AND MUTILATED AFTER CROC HUNTER DEATH

    Up to 10 stingrays have been found dead and mutilated on Australia's eastern
    coast since ``Crocodile Hunter'' Steve Irwin was killed by one of the animals
    last week, an official said today, prompting concerns of revenge attacks on the
    normally docile fish.

    ---

    Not what he would have wanted, of course, but dare I say this is what happens when humans misunderstand animals. The ray behaved in a totally predictable way when it felt threatened and yet some idiots believe it maliciously 'attacked' Steve.

    Unwittingly, he propagated the belief that we can and should 'dominate' nature.
  • this is all part of the war on terror! don't you understand?
  • Perhaps the Stingray's are responsible for the WTC attacks? I always thought it was the Blue Mountains 'Panther' personally...
  • You don't understand Viges, they wuz Muslim Stingrays!
  • Oh, well ...
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