Steve Irwin - Early years, Career, Personal life
| Died: |
September 4, 2006 Batt Reef, Queensland, Australia |
|---|---|
| Occupation: |
Naturalist, Zoologist, Conservationist, Television Personality |
| Spouse: | Terri Irwin |
| Children: |
Bindi Sue and Robert (Bob) Clarence |
| Website: | CrocodileHunter.com.au |
Stephen Robert Irwin (February 22, 1962 – September 4, 2006), nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian conservationist and television personality. He achieved world-wide fame from the television program The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally-broadcast wildlife documentary series co-hosted with his wife Terri Irwin.
Early years
Born to Lyn and Bob Irwin in Essendon, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Irwin moved with his parents as a child to Queensland in 1970. Irwin described his father as a wildlife expert interested in herpetology whilst his mother Lyn was a wildlife rehabilitator. After moving to Queensland, Bob and Lyn Irwin started the small Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, where Steve grew up around crocodiles and other reptiles.
Irwin became involved with the park in a number of ways, including taking part in daily animal feeding, as well as care and maintenance activities. Irwin followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a volunteer for the Queensland Government's East Coast Crocodile Management program.
Career
Rise to fame
The park was a family run business until it was turned over to Irwin.
Under Irwin's leadership, the operations grew to include the zoo, the television series, the Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation (renamed Wildlife Warriors), and the International Crocodile Rescue. Irwin mentioned that he was considering opening an Australia Zoo in Las Vegas, Nevada, and possibly at other sites around the world.
Film
In 2001, Irwin appeared in a cameo role in the Eddie Murphy film Dr. Dolittle 2. Irwin's only starring feature film role was in 2002's The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course, which was released to mixed reviews. In the film Irwin (who portrayed himself and performed numerous stunts) mistakes some CIA agents for poachers. To promote the film, Irwin was featured in an animated short produced by Animax Entertainment for Intermix. In 2003 Irwin was reportedly in line to host a chat show on Australian network television, a series that never went into production. In 2002, the Irwins appeared in the Wiggles video/dvd release Wiggly Safari, which was set in Irwin's Australia Zoo. Irwin was featured prominently on the cover and throughout the movie.
Animal Planet
Animal Planet ended The Crocodile Hunter with a series finale entitled "Steve's Last Adventure." The last Crocodile Hunter documentary spanned three hours with footage of Irwin's across-the-world adventure in locations including the Himalayas, the Yangtze River, Borneo, and the Kruger National Park. Irwin went on to star in other Animal Planet documentaries, including The Croc Files, The Crocodile Hunter Diaries, and New Breed Vets.
Later projects
In January 2006 as part of "Australia Week" celebrations in the USA, Irwin appeared at the Pauley Pavilion, UCLA in Los Angeles, California. During an interview on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Irwin announced that Discovery Kids would be developing a show for his daughter, Bindi Sue Irwin. A feature-length episode of Australian kids TV show The Wiggles entitled "Wiggly Safari" appears dedicated to Irwin, and he's featured in it heavily with his wife and daughter. The show includes the song "Crocodile Hunter, Big Steve Irwin".
In 2006, the American network The Travel Channel had begun to show a series of specials starring Irwin and his family as they travelled on cross-country tours.
Media work
Irwin was also involved in several media campaigns.
In 2004 he was appointed ambassador for The Ghan, the passenger train running from Adelaide to Alice Springs in the central Australian outback, when the line was extended all the way to Darwin on the northern coast that year.
He was also a keen promoter for Australian tourism in general and Queensland tourism in particular.
Honours
In 2001 Irwin was awarded the Centenary Medal for his "service to global conservation and to Australian tourism".
Environmentalism
See also: Wildlife WarriorsIrwin was a passionate conservationist and believed in promoting environmentalism by sharing his excitement about the natural world rather than preaching to people. Irwin bought "large tracts of land" in Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the United States, which he described as "like national parks" and stressed the importance of people realising that they could each make a difference.
He had urged people to take part in considerate tourism and not support illegal poaching through the purchase of items such as turtle shells, or shark-fin soup:
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We have domesticated livestock raised for consumption and perfectly good fake leather and fur, so why must we kill wild animals to satisfy the macabre taste of some rich person? |
He founded the Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation, which was later renamed Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, and became an independent charity. Irwin discovered a new species of turtle that now bears his name, Elseya irwini — Irwin's Turtle — a species of turtle found on the coast of Queensland.
He also helped to found a number of other projects, such as the International Crocodile Rescue, as well as the Lyn Irwin Memorial Fund, in memory of his mother, with proceeds going to the Iron Bark Station Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre.
Irwin, however, was criticised for having an unsophisticated view of conservation in Australia that seemed more linked to tourism than the problems Australia faces as a continent. The Sydney Morning Herald reported in 2002 that Irwin had stated:
In response to questions of Australia's problems with overgrazing, salinity, erosion, Irwin responded: "Cows have been on our land for so long that Australia has evolved to handle those big animals."
Personal life
Family
In 1992, Irwin married Terri Raines from Eugene, Oregon, United States. Together they had two children: a daughter, Bindi Sue Irwin (born July 24, 1998), and a son, Robert Clarence "Bob" Irwin (born December 1, 2003). Bindi Sue is jointly named after two of Steve Irwin's favourite animals: Bindi, a saltwater crocodile, and Sui, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier who died in June 2004.
Irwin was as enthusiastic about his family as he was about his work. "
Controversy
Some controversy arose during a public show on January 2, 2004, when Irwin carried his one-month-old son, Bob, in his arm whilst hand-feeding a chicken carcass to Murray, a 3.8-metre (12.5-foot) saltwater crocodile. In addition, child welfare groups, animal rights groups, and some of Irwin's television viewers criticised his actions as irresponsible and tantamount to child abuse. Despite public outcry by some in Australia and abroad, Irwin refused to apologise for the incident. Both he and his wife publicly stated that Irwin was in complete control of the situation, as he had dealt with crocodiles since he was a small child, and based on his lifetime of experience neither he nor his son were in any danger. Terri Irwin claimed their child was in no more danger than one being taught to swim. according to one journalist, Irwin told officials he would not repeat the action.
In June 2004, allegations were made that he disturbed wildlife (namely whales, seals and penguins) while filming a documentary, Ice Breaker, in Antarctica.
Animal Planet released a "Crocodile Hunter" special called "Confessions of the Crocodile Hunter" which attempted to explain some of the incidents. This special argues that Irwin's son was never in danger of being eaten by the crocodile, and that Irwin was of no threat to the animals in Antarctica.
Politics
After questions arose about Irwin being paid $175,000 worth of taxpayers' money to appear in a television advertisement and his possible political ties, Irwin told ABC:
Search and rescue effort in MexicoIn November 2003, Irwin was filming a documentary on sea lions off the coast of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula when he heard via his boat's radio that two scuba divers were reported missing in the area. Irwin and his entire crew suspended operations to aid in the search. His team's divers searched with the rescue divers, and Irwin used his vessel to patrol the waters around the island where the incident occurred, as well as using his satellite communications system to call in a rescue plane. Irwin and a crewmember escorted him to Irwin's boat. Jones reported not recognising his celebrity rescuer as he had never seen Irwin on television. Sports fanHaving grown up in Essendon, Irwin was a fan of the Essendon Bombers, an Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League. Irwin took part in an Australian Rules football promotion in Los Angeles as part of "Australia Week" in early 2006. After his death, a picture of Irwin wearing a Bombers guernsey was shown by ESPN.com in their Bottom 10 ranking of the worst Division I-A college football teams after Week 1 of the season in tribute to him. Living in Queensland most of his life, Irwin was also a fan of Rugby League. Irwin laughingly shared the experience with the Queensland State of Origin squad before the 2006 series. Irwin also supported rugby union, being a fan of the national team, the Wallabies. A behind-the-scenes episode of The Crocodile Hunter showed Irwin and the crew finding a gas station in a remote part of Namibia to watch the Wallabies defeat France in the 1999 Rugby World Cup Final. Irwin was also a talented surfer. Irwin was particularly interested in Singapore Zoo, which he considered a sister institution of the Australia Zoo. Irwin loved mixed martial arts competitions and trained with Greg Jackson in the fighting/grappling system of Gaidojutsu. Irwin said on an interview for the Discovery Networks that he would only stop his wildlife conservation efforts when his children took hold of the operation, just as he had done with his father. Claims that he had joined a church a short time before his death appear to be urban legend.,although Terri Irwin has stated in an interview that Steve believed in God. According to Terri, Sir David Attenborough was a inspiration to Irwin. Sir Attenborough reciprocated with praising Irwin for introducing many to the natural world, saying "He taught them how wonderful and exciting it was, he was a born communicator." 
DeathSee Wikinews article: Crocodile Hunter's Steve Irwin dies at 44Shortly after 01:00 UTC (11:00 AEST) on September 4, 2006, Irwin was fatally pierced in the chest by a stingray spine whilst snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef, at Batt Reef, which is located off the coast of Port Douglas in Queensland. Irwin was in the area filming his own documentary, to be called The Ocean's Deadliest, but weather had stalled filming. Irwin decided to take the opportunity to film some shallow water shots for a segment in the television program his daughter Bindi was hosting, when, according to his friend and colleague, John Stainton, he swam too close to one of the animals, an ordinarily harmless stingray. "He came on top of the stingray and the stingray's barb went up and into his chest and put a hole into his heart," said Stainton, who was on board Irwin's boat the Croc One. The events were caught on camera, and a copy of the footage was handed to the Queensland Police. Cropp said Irwin had accidentally boxed in the animal. The stinging of Irwin by the bull ray was "a one-in-a-million thing," Cropp told Time magazine. Initially, when Irwin's colleague, John Stainton, was interviewed by CNN's Larry King late on September 4, 2006 he denied the suggestion that Irwin had pulled the spine out of his chest, or that he had seen footage of the event, insisting that the anecdote was "absolute rubbish." It is thought, in the absence of a coroner's report, that a combination of the toxins and the puncture wound from the spine caused Irwin to die of cardiac arrest, with most damage being inflicted by tears to arteries or other main blood vessels. A similar incident in Florida a month later in which a man survived a stingray barb through the heart showed that, ironically, Irwin may have caused his own death by removing the barb. Until the coroner's report is released, however, the precise cause of Irwin's death remains conjecture. Crew members aboard his boat called the emergency services in the nearest city of Cairns and administered CPR as they rushed the boat to the nearby Low Islets to meet a rescue helicopter. Medical staff pronounced Irwin dead when they arrived a short time later. According to Dr. Ed O'Loughlin, who treated Irwin, "it became clear fairly soon that he had non-survivable injuries. Irwin's body was flown to a morgue in Cairns. His wife, Terri Irwin, was on a walking tour in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in Tasmania at the time, and returned via a private plane from Devonport to the Sunshine Coast with their two children. Fatalities due to stingrays are infrequent but occurrences are not collated. The attack on Irwin is believed to be the only fatality from a stingray ever captured on film. Speculations have surfaced which suggest the tape of Steve Irwin's death may be released for broadcast on television. Irwin's friend and manager John Stainton told CNN's Larry King "[The tape] should be destroyed". Nevertheless, Irwin had commented that, if he were to be killed by an animal, he would want the incident filmed. However, in an ABC interview with Barbara Walters, Irwin's wife Terri said she hasn't seen the film of her husband's deadly encounter with the stingray and that it won't ever be shown on television. ReactionNews of his death prompted widespread shock. Queensland Premier Peter Beattie commented in a Channel Seven television interview that Irwin "will be remembered as not just a great Queenslander, but a great Australian". The U.S. feed of the Animal Planet cable television channel aired a special tribute to Steve Irwin that started on Monday, 4 September 2006. The tribute continued with the Animal Planet channel showing highlights of Irwin's more than 200 appearances on Discovery Networks shows. The president of the Discovery Network, Billy Campbell, released a statement, saying:
On the evening of his death, Enough Rope re-broadcast an interview between Irwin and Andrew Denton originally broadcast in 2003. The Seven Network aired a television memorial show as a tribute to Irwin on 5 September 2006, as did the Nine Network on September 6, 2006. Jay Leno delivered a tribute to Irwin, describing him as a great ambassador of Australia. Irwin appeared on Leno's talk show on more than ten occasions. Kelly and Barbara Walters' The View; on the former show, Kelly Ripa came close to tears with her praise of Irwin. Hundreds of people visited Australia Zoo to pay tribute to the deceased entertainer and conservationist. BBC reported on September 13, 2006 that thousands of fans have been to Australia Zoo since Irwin's death, bringing flowers, candles, stuffed animals and messages of support. In the weeks after his death, Irwin's conservation foundation Wildlife Warriors reported that thousands of people from around the world were offering their support via donations to the conservation group. CriticismDan Mathews, vice-president of animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said it was "no shock at all that Steve Irwin should die provoking a dangerous animal". He added that "Irwin made his career out of antagonising frightened wild animals, that's a very dangerous message to send to children." The son of Jacques Cousteau, Jean-Michel Cousteau, also a producer of wildlife documentaries, also took issue with Irwin's hands-on approach to nature television. Although it "goes very well on television", Irwin's approach would "interfere with nature, jump on animals, grab them, hold them, and have this very, very spectacular, dramatic way of presenting things" which Cousteau felt is "very misleading". Jacques Cousteau's grandson Phillipe Cousteau (not his son Philippe Cousteau), on the other hand, was working with Irwin on the "Ocean's Deadliest" project at the time of his death, and called Irwin "a remarkable individual". BacklashIn the wake of Irwin's death, at least ten stingrays were found dead and mutilated on the beaches of Queensland, prompting some speculation that the killings were done as revenge by fans of Irwin. Michael Hornby, the executive director of Irwin's conservation group Wildlife Warriors, said he was concerned the rays were being hunted and killed in retaliation for the TV star's death. Funeral and memorialsQueensland Premier Peter Beattie extended the offer of a state funeral to Irwin's family, an honour also agreed to by Prime Minister John Howard. Steve Irwin's father, Bob Irwin, stated that his son would not have wanted such an honour, and would want to be remembered as an "ordinary bloke". Beattie stated he would honour the decision of the Irwin family regarding their arrangements. Irwin was farewelled by family and friends at a private funeral service held at Caloundra on the afternoon of 9 September.The naturalist was buried in a private ceremony at the zoo on the same day. Memorial serviceA public service was held at the 5,500-seat Animal Planet Crocoseum at Australia Zoo on Wednesday morning September 20, 2006. Messages from around the world came from people including Hugh Jackman, Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe and Larry King. Crowe said in his recorded tribute: The Prime Minister John Howard made an early speech at the service, as did Irwin's father Bob and his daughter Bindi, who said:
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