Steve Irwin

Steve Irwin was a great guy, so I wanna know what impression he left on you. How did you get into watching his shows? What was your favorite thing to see him work with, like did you like seeing him handle snakes, catch crocodiles, work with the kualas, etc.?

i watched him all the time when i was little, i always remember my mom saying how crazy he was for running around and jumping on the crocs, I really liked when he would wrangle the crocs and i also loved the snakes. I think he is the sole reason why i started liking snakes and wanted one soo bad. My mom would never let me though:( I finally talked her into it though :)

Ya he's the reason why I love snakes and reptiles, and now I have 6 snakes of my own including 2 other reptiles. He is my idol and hero, and he will never be forgotten. And I hope ya get a snake, they are quite something (;

i will never forget him, i pla on traveling to austrailia to visit his zoo one day
they are awesome, i now have 4 :) more to come too

I liked him because he was the real deal.. He actually had a very serious background in handling, care, capture, and rescue of large dangerous reptiles way before the TV show ever existed.

He wasn't the sole inspiration for my obsession with scaly critters(especially crocodilians) but he certainly helped that obsession grow :D

Back in dec. 07 I was able to complete a pilgrimage to the australia zoo. I wish I had been able to be there when he was still alive, but it was still an incredible experience.

I'll admit it, I cried when I heard about his death.

I have mixed feelings about him.
He did a lot of dangerous things that he did not need to do.
Perhaps it was the producers who decided he needed to have a "danga" (danger)
factor.
Other naturalists who teach about creatures in the wild did not do some of the things he did and taught us all very well without the danger need.

One show I remember watching he went out with a group to catch wild bulls.
They gave him a jeep and a rope, one bit of rope..
They would push the bull over with the jeep, using a couple of tires on the front to cushion the hit.. then while the bull was down, tie his legs together so he couldn't get up.
Well off goes steve, they get a bull... either he had used his one bit of rope, or couldn't find it.. so he improvises and uses his belt.
Now I applaud the effort, but wild bulls are dangerous and he should have been better prepared.
with reptiles he was a genius.
Hands down.
But he knew little or nothing about manta rays or other rays... why couldn't he do something on sea krates or sea turtles...
Not only did he OR his crew not do ANY research on the animal he was going to interact with... There was the internet, there are ray experts out there...
They should have known of the danger of dealing with these shark relatives.
His showmanship OR at the urging of his producers, his antics left him dead.
He left behind a young daughter who now feels she must somehow live up to his image.
OR her mother feels the need to carry on his fame by making her child do t.v. shows like dear ole dad...
Bindi the Jungle Girl...
All naturalists preach safety, and years of experience.
Steve ignored that and so did his crew and he died.
It IS sad, but preventable, and a waste.
This is just MY opinion.
Carol

He's definitely a large reason why I am so into reptiles today..When I first saw his show, I knew I wanted to work with reptiles as well. I loved watching him wrestle the crocs (come on who didn't..lol) but my favorite was when he was admiring the other animals he would find while searching for snakes or crocs..Like the koalas, lions..and of course when he talked about the animals at his zoo..which he loved very dearly :0)

Steve Irwin was the man who inspired to become a biologist. I loved reptiles since I was little, and I mom says when I was a baby I accidentally ate a dead lizard(very gross, I guess that what got me in!) but I would ask my dad if I could have a brown tree snake or a monitor lizard, I loved to catch geckos and lizards all around my house, I actually let one loose in my house, but I got it and released it:) I got 2 snakes and a bearded dragon and I want more but my parents said no, but anyway I still watch Steve Irwin and he was always the best and the most respected. He will be missed and not forgotten. RIP Steve:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by matt71915

i will never forget him, i pla on traveling to austrailia to visit his zoo one day
they are awesome, i now have 4 :) more to come too

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i had the same thought lol.. yea steve irwin is my hero and i will never forget him ever since a lil kid coming from poland we didnt have much of a tv, or porgrams, so when i move dot america i turnbed on the tv and saw him, feeding a croc, i loved the way he was soo happy about wat he is doing and he chased his dreams, he got bit by the croc and seemed to be proud of it and all he said is that ,wow aint she just a beautay, crikey, im sweating bullets, not only reptiles but along with parots mammals etc, he has made me have more repsect for animals and made me believe that if i focus on it and put my mind on it i can achieve it, R.I.P steve irwin u are always in our loving memories!!:tears:

paul

He was one of my two 'distance mentors' - men I never got to meet but who strongly influenced my love of animals and nature (and music with the second). I watched his shows every chance I got, I wanted SO much to go to his zoo and meet him and the family, and I saw past the showy nature of what he did to the core - to show folks what beautiful, wonderful creatures reptiles are.

I cried all day when he died, and for a month after whenever I saw a picture or a TV clip. Like my first mentor, he died before I got a chance to meet him and share the enthusiasm and love for what he did. I will always miss him, and if I ever get the chance to have that refuge I always wanted, his initials will be part of the name.

For those who wonder, my other mentor was John Denver. I was named after one of his songs, and he was always my inspiration for my singing as well as my love of nature and wildlife.

I remember my brother and I playing the Crocidile Hunter when were little kids. We used to spend hours out on the creek or in fields ketching any herp we could find, and we'd talk in corny Australian accents too, pretending to have our own show, lol.
Steve was definantly an idol of mine and I will always hold so much respect for him. I loved his show, I loved his passion, and I loved his energy, which he always had so much of! Even though I didn't know him personally, I really miss him.:(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Montessa Python

I have mixed feelings about him.
He did a lot of dangerous things that he did not need to do.
Perhaps it was the producers who decided he needed to have a "danga" (danger)
factor.
Other naturalists who teach about creatures in the wild did not do some of the things he did and taught us all very well without the danger need.

One show I remember watching he went out with a group to catch wild bulls.
They gave him a jeep and a rope, one bit of rope..
They would push the bull over with the jeep, using a couple of tires on the front to cushion the hit.. then while the bull was down, tie his legs together so he couldn't get up.
Well off goes steve, they get a bull... either he had used his one bit of rope, or couldn't find it.. so he improvises and uses his belt.
Now I applaud the effort, but wild bulls are dangerous and he should have been better prepared.
with reptiles he was a genius.
Hands down.
But he knew little or nothing about manta rays or other rays... why couldn't he do something on sea krates or sea turtles...
Not only did he OR his crew not do ANY research on the animal he was going to interact with... There was the internet, there are ray experts out there...
They should have known of the danger of dealing with these shark relatives.
His showmanship OR at the urging of his producers, his antics left him dead.
He left behind a young daughter who now feels she must somehow live up to his image.
OR her mother feels the need to carry on his fame by making her child do t.v. shows like dear ole dad...
Bindi the Jungle Girl...
All naturalists preach safety, and years of experience.
Steve ignored that and so did his crew and he died.
It IS sad, but preventable, and a waste.
This is just MY opinion.
Carol

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Something to think about:

If I had never watched the croc hunter as a kid, I would probably have been sent to the hospital at least once, might likely be missing digits or a limb, from screwing around with dangerous reptiles.

YouTube - Alligator Snapping Turtle Bites Researcher

Should have happened to me more than once, though I am still 110% confident in my turtle handling skills.

Steve taught me enough respect(which is hard for a middle-schooler to come by) to be a little bit safer around gators and water moccasins and copperheads than I would have been had I not watched his show.

I had nothing but respect for him--yes, he did sensationalize things...and that's what made people watch. If you don't get people to pay attention, you can't make them learn anything. If you don't bring people close, they get bored.

What he taught them was that a big, ugly, dangerous animal is also beautiful and worth saving. He taught that you can love something that won't love you back, and it's ok. He taught people one of the hardest lessons there is to get people to actually take to heart, and he did more for the PR and conservation of scaly crawly things than anyone before or since. Because of Steve Irwin, more people on the planet like crocodiles than ever have before in history. More people are interested in reptiles--more people respect snakes.

His death was not a lesson about how he interacted with wildlife. He was making a move countless other divers had made before, from professional to amateur. It was a freak accident, in many more ways than one. Stingrays are generally docile animals that are safe to interact with. Unfortunately, this individual animal somehow became startled and mistook him for a shark. If he'd been hit anywhere but right in the heart, he'd still be alive.

I really enjoyed his show. Sometimes he seemed to go a bit too far. However, he did tons of work to help reptiles become more accepted as living beings and deserving respect in their own right. I was shocked and very saddend when I hear he had died.

He was my inspiration for getting into reptiles. I first saw him when I was about 6 and thought he was cute so I watched every one of his shows and started falling in love with snakes and crocs and alligators! He was the reason I love all reptiles. Goodbye Steve.:tears:

I used to like him until I found out he supported Sea Shepheard...




Rob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

I liked him because he was the real deal.. He actually had a very serious background in handling, care, capture, and rescue of large dangerous reptiles way before the TV show ever existed.

He wasn't the sole inspiration for my obsession with scaly critters(especially crocodilians) but he certainly helped that obsession grow :D

Back in dec. 07 I was able to complete a pilgrimage to the australia zoo. I wish I had been able to be there when he was still alive, but it was still an incredible experience.

I'll admit it, I cried when I heard about his death.

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Ya I cried too. I've been watching him ever since I was little and if I find his shows on tv (which I think are pretty much cancled..) I'll definitely watch them.