Crikey!

Steve “The Crocodile Hunter” Irwin has been killed in a freak accident while snorkling off the coast of Australia. Irwin was gathering some footage for a new children’s television show that he was making along with his daughter when he swam over a hidden stingray that lashed out and pierced his chest with its barbed sting. Irwin was 44 years old.

I remember discovering Irwin years ago on Animal Planet before he had reached the mainstream radar. It was obvious from the very beginning that his was a different sort of animal documentary. From his crazy bursts of Australian slang to his pure rapture at the creatures he was discussing, it was clear that Irwin had a passion for animals and loved to share his knowledge with others.

As Irwin became overexposed and made a few questionable decisions (like feeding a crocodile with one hand while holding his baby in the other) he became more of a cartoon character than a man, but I always admired him. Irwin had found his passion and cared genuinely about all life, not only the cuddly tiger cub, but also 15-foot Nile crocodiles.

Those that know me well can tell you that I not only can rattle off pointless movie trivia tidbits, but that I am a wealth of animal knowledge. From years of watching documentaries on television and spending my childhood just hanging out at the local pet store, I’ve always loved animals. If I had been better dedicated in school I would have worked toward getting a degree in zoology or vet science. If I had it to do over again, that is exactly what I’d do. However, since I didn’t, I have to content myself with living vicariously through men like Steve Irwin.

I hope that people will not only remember the colorful expressions of “She’s a beaute!” and “Crikey!”, but also remember Irwin’s passion for life and what he was doing. It is a lesson that we can all learn from.