Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin Dies
Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin died Monday. He was a huge favorite of BeansTalk’s chairman of the board, who got to meet Irwin at the premiere of 2002’s “Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course” at
(Image Left) Iconic Aussie wildlife daredevil Steve Irwin poses with a three foot long alligator at the San Francisco Zoo in June 2002. Irwin has been killed by a stingray blow to the chest while filming a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Justin Sullivan)
(Image Right) A wooden crocodile holds flowers from well-wishers outside Australia Zoo at Beerwah, home of Australian international media personality and environmentalist Steve Irwin who died on the
Discovery Channel sent out a release. The following is from that release:
To honor Steve and the enormous contribution he made to the world and to our company, Discovery Channel will rename the garden space in front of Discovery's world headquarters in
DCI is planning to create the Steve Irwin Crocodile Hunter Fund, which it expects to affectionately call "The Crikey Fund." The Fund will be established to honor Steve's passion and exuberance for conservation and the animal kingdom and is expected to provide a way for people from across the globe to make contributions in Steve's honor to support wildlife protection, education and conservation. The Fund will provide support to Steve's Australia Zoo in
Steve Irwin was the world’s best-known wildlife crusader. As the Crocodile Hunter, Steve became a household name, and his television adventures have been seen around the globe. In 2002, he starred in the feature film, The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course and appeared on numerous popular television talk shows. Throughout his high international profile, Steve's commitment to wildlife always remained paramount.
His passion to protect the world's most endangered and threatened species could be traced back to his parents, conservationists and animal lovers Bob and Lyn Irwin, the founders of Australia Zoo. As a young boy, Steve helped Bob rescue and relocate crocodiles in the rivers of
In his 20s, Steve volunteered his services to the
In 1992, Steve and his friend, television producer John Stainton, created a distinctive new style of wildlife documentary. That one-hour program, The Crocodile Hunter, featured Steve, his new wife, American wildlife caretaker Terri Raines, and the animals of Far North Queensland. Steve's boisterous charm, unconventional style and extraordinary daring, combined with Terri's wit and composure in dangerous situations and their amazingly close encounters with such potentially deadly creatures as crocodiles, venomous snakes and spiders, made The Crocodile Hunter a worldwide hit.
In addition to The Crocodile Hunter series, Steve and Terri filmed 53 episodes of the Emmy Award-nominated Croc Files, The Crocodile Hunter Diaries, a behind-the-scenes look at Steve's daily life at Australia Zoo, and New Breed Vets, a series highlighting the cutting-edge veterinarian science.
As testimony to their commitment to conservation and the environment, Steve and Terri purchased over 60,000 acres of wildlife-sensitive land and worked the rehabilitation and breeding of some of the world's most endangered animals. At Australia Zoo, they established a breeding program to help such endangered species as the southern cassowary, koala, giant land tortoise, Fijian crested iguana and Komodo dragon, to name just a few. The zoo, a dedicated conservation area covering over 250 acres, earned Australia's most prestigious tourism award as "Major Tourist Attraction" for 2003. Steve was recently awarded the title "2004 Queensland Australian of the Year."
