Monday, September 04, 2006
Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin killed
He was killed today by a stingray barb to the heart while filming an underwater documentary on the Great Barrier Reef. He was 44.
He is widely acclaimed. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, hailed Irwin for his work in promoting Australia through projects such as "G'Day LA," an Australian tourism and trade promotion week in Los Angeles in January. Irwin's dedication to conservationist causes led him to become a vocal critic of wildlife hunts in Australia. The federal government recently dropped plans to allow crocodile safaris for wealthy tourists in the Northern Territory following his vehement objections.
Irwin told the Australian television program "A Current Affair" that "killing one of our beautiful animals in the name of trophy hunting will have a very negative impact on tourism, which scares the living daylights out of me."
Although he received negative publicity in recent years, authorities were never really against him and he never was charged for going against safety regulations or any laws regarding these.
It's really tragic, stingrays are hardly aggresive animals.
"Injuries to the extremities from stingray barbs are not uncommon along the Australian seaboard. Cardiac injuries from stingray barbs are rare, even worldwide, and all but one have been fatal."
"Stingrays have flat bodies and tails with serrated spines, which contain venom and can cause cuts and puncture wounds. The creatures are not aggressive and injury usually occurs when a swimmer or diver accidentally steps on one."
Well, all said and done, it's not as if this is a huge shock. After all, he has been working with really dangerous creatures, and his favourite animal is the crocodile.
And no one's gonna say he doesn't look like a crocodile himself. (: I think he's a guy the world will miss. Click here for his biography
!edit
3:49 PM;
He was killed today by a stingray barb to the heart while filming an underwater documentary on the Great Barrier Reef. He was 44.
