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Originally posted by schmaus:
I am curious to hear about the reaction of some people from Australia.

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Originally posted by BwanaBob:
I, for one, am not glad to see Steve Irwin dead, there are very few people that I would wish that upon, and I offer my condolensces to his family and feel for their loss.

However I am glad to see an end to his influence on Australian attitudes towards wildlife and hunting. And now that he is dead, let us not turn him into something that he wasn't - he was a TV personality, and nothing more.

I am surprised that so many people, from all around the world, were duped by his self-proclaimed 'wildlife warrior' status. A true conservationist would never have treated wildlife in the manner that he did - it was all for show and to bolster his image and his income. And accordingly, he rarely showed wildlife in a true and accurate light.

As has already been mentioned, in this forum, there was one episode where he antagonised a red-bellied black snake to the point where it became very aggressive. Red-bellied black snakes are, in reality, quite timid and will avoid a confrontation with humans. In another episode he had an Egyptian Cobra cornered and, after aggravating the snake for a very long time, said' Crikey, this bloke is aggressive!" Are these realistic and accurate portrayals of these animals? Hell no!

The episode where he released the feral pig into the Australian wilds shows, clearly, that he did not understand (or didn't have any real regard for) the Australian ecology. Feral pigs are a HUGE, HUGE problem in Australia and are a serious threat to many endangered animals and plants. No thinking conservationist would have released a feral pig, nor any other feral animal, and then have the nerve to show the world that he did it! If any other Australian had released a feral pig he/she would have been prosecuted so fast it would have made their head spin.

The episodes from Africa where just a joke. There was one where they crawled up to film a large number of nile crocodiles feeding on a hippo carcass. Steve, the hero, was bragging about how the lives of the camera crew were his responsiblity and that they had to do exactly as he told them to survive. In reality, there would have been an armed National Parks Ranger, a Game Scout of a PH standing by. There is no way that any African government would allow a high-profile, international celebrity to be eaten on film. Imagine what that would have done for their tourism industry? Would they have turned him loose to do whatever he wanted without a chaperon and some local knowledge and advice? Hell No!

Then, armed only with a Dolphin torch he sets off into the African night to find a large maned lion standing nicely for the camera - only problem was that the lion was illuminated by a very powerful spotlight (and not a dolphin torch) and looked to me like he was a little too well kept, too well fed and quite used to the spotlight. Talk about 'Canned' lion hunts!

And what about the great white shark episodes - swimming in his khaki shorts and shirt? Wasn't that just another stunt to bolster his image at the expense of serious wildlife documentary making?

I could go on and on, but will leave it there. As I said at the start, lets not turn him into something that he wasn't. He was a showman who took unnecessary and foolish risks and the odds caught up with him. If there is one message that Steve Irwin left behind it is how NOT to handle, treat and approach wildlife, (and not just stingrays).

Oh, one more point that I would like to make. As an Australian, I was always deeply embarrassed by his exaggerated and ridiculous portrayal of the Aussie Ocker image. I hope that very few of the international members think that all Australians behave that way, because very, very few of us do!

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Originally posted by VarmintGuy:
Now Jacques Cousteau was a notorious "greenie" as well as being french!
He advocated no fishing in any of the earths waters!
No food fishing or catch and release either.
Yes the MSM does try to hide "certain aspects" and beliefs of their "favorites"!
Still I liked this guys intensity and enthusiasm!
I have dealt with "conservation nuts" for decades and other than despising certain of their ideals and tactics I still think they are human - and deserving of respect when they are tragically killed WAY before their time!
As far as I know none of Mr. Irwins attitudes and intentions towards my Hunting pursuits ever effected me one way or the other!
His membership (or non-membership) in any anti-Hunting campaign or organization is not known to me.
I mourn for him none the less.
I also share the sense of loss that MILLIONS of Australians and TENS OF MILLIONS of Americans feel about his passing.
Green to the extreme or not, LOTS of people liked him!
And I won't share "the day of his passing" with those who denounce him or speak ill of him.
And also this - I have always LOVED Australians and Australia so Mr. Irwin had that great attribute in his favor to begin with!
Oye! Oye! Oye!

Rest in Peace Mr. Irwin.

Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

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Originally posted by Kevin Reed:
A couple of young children and a wife are now without a father and a husband that THEY loved very much. Very Sad!!!
Kevin

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Most who truly care about their families don't spend their days putting themselves in very real danger just for money, unless they are colossally stupid, terminally egocentric, or both.