The Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin is a Moron!

I think that like many situations, the media may be blowing it a bit out of proportion. There is no doubt in my mind that even in the worst case situation, that croc would have had to go through Steve Irwin first before getting to that child.....not to mention that there are always other handlers just outside of camera range.

Of course something horrid could have happened. However, horrid things can happen each time we put a child in a car, but how many people have done that to just "go for a ride"? What about having a family dog around an infant? We've all heard about good dogs that have attacked unprovoked...there's even a related thread about that in the Sound Off section.

I guess what I'm saying is that life is full of risks; however, Steve & Terri Irwin are responsible people who are capable of and have a right to determine what is appropriate for their children.

I have pictures of my infant granddaughter touching her first snake at only a few months of age: a ball python. I suppose it's feasible that he could have delivered a nasty bite....but I didn't think he would, I was right there, and I wanted her to have the experience of touching the "nakies" as she now calls them. I did the same with my dog, my cat, some rabbits, the neighbor's cows and horses.....etc. etc. etc. Not a big deal.

By the way, she loved the "nakey", and now that she's almost 2, she goes from enclosure to enclosure saying goodnight every single evening that she's here.

You got me Al. I have to admit it because of you. All those albino Shingleback Skinks he sent me died.

Missy, Steve killing himself was an allusion as to his career.

Originally posted by realvenum
I was under the impression that Tigers were wild animals.....

Yup Al and if that is the case so are all snakes and gators and spiders and well,.. you get the idea....but then if the animal is raised from birth to an adult by humans does that make it wild or domesticated??[instinct and or hunger could change this]

I personally really like the Crocodile Hunter! His enthusiasm for wildlife is downright amazing and he does tremendous amount of work for our wildlife.
I have not seen this video, but I generally think we should be more lenient on what people do... Let people ride without helmets, no seatbelts, drugs, whatever they want. Then end result.... Darwinism at it's finest! A cleaner gene pool.. :-)
In all seriousness... I went to his website and found a very sad story about a 16 year old croc and what it would go through in order for it to become a pair of shoes... Their was also a nice pic somewhere of the little girl right next to a tiger (since someone brought up tigers, and she is between Steve and the tiger). At least the tiger has a chain.. Free the Crocodile Hunter!!!!!
Thanks, Tom Baker

Steve Irwin

No, you got to be kiddin me!!

The credit for his success should go directly to his wife who when she met steve saw the potential "money" in an aussie with reptiles could bring to USA screens!

Steve Irwin is someone I met when I was 18 yrs old at his park, not the current one. That's now 16 years ago. He does not, nor did he ever act or talk with the exaggerated use of the Aussie terms such as, "little beauty" or crikey"

The dancing and yelling etc are for TV ratings alone and nothing else.

Back when I met him, he and in particular his father were well know to the Australian Herp Society in Sydney (for which I was a then member) for being the most untrustworthy people in the hobby.

They would willingly report young kids for keeping reptiles without a permit. I am talking about harmless reptiles like your common blue tongue lizard that can be picked up in the back yard.

Okay, they didn't have a permit. But you have to remember, this was a state wildlife department that oppressed keeping reptiles fullstop, untill John Wiegal formed a group and got some laws changed and a lot of people with reptiles came forward and licensed their animals for the better.

Steve and his father are not to be trusted in my opinion. I learnt that from a young age when at his park while talking to his father with a friend of mine, he (steve) left the conversation and I noticed him peering through our cars' windows to see what he could spot. Probably hoping to make another kill and again, this was 16 years ago. Steve didn't know we could just see him from where we were.

For those that wan't to praise steve, well, you don't realise what the "Off Camera" Steve is really like.

So Steve is a big narc. Bastard!

Yes Bruce, you got that right.

Steve had people prosecuted for pursueing the love of keeping reptiles.

John Weigal helped people out by getting them licensed so they could keep reptiles.

That kinda seperates the boys from men in my opinion! One took and one gave!

I didnt see this show you guys are talking about... what happened???

i dont know steve as i seriously doubt any one here does either, its said that one time at his park a long time ago his dad was commenting on what? endangered animals. australia has had a rough damn century due to mans brilliant intro of non domestic species, i believe the blue tounged lizard as it was named is an endangered reptile, as are alot of the animals there, i think at that point in history people were getting a little over zealous in the collecting of animals there and they needed to stop and take a breather, now that they have regs they have eased the tension a bit, but go through a half century of terrible droubts, diseases, infestations, poor economical diversity, i think that government is brilliant in the approach to our world, their country, their people and animals,

if it came down to it and i knew in my heart that my no longer having my collection would help this aching world just a little i would , painfully, but i cannot believe for a minute that this man doesnt have great passion for animals, so what if his persona is exaggerated, its called tv, my father travels there very often , they dont even have that show there, its geared towards us,

his risk with HIS child is trivial, anyone that goes outside nowadays in america is taking some risk, beit small,, he has been responsible for one of the largest breeding facilities of endangered animals succesfully for quite a while- i wouldnt give a rats patootie if he was micheal jackson if his accomlishments were that of possibly continueing life for these animals, that we brilliantly have wiped out

it really has to be looked at realistically, unless you are independantly wealthy, to spend it you need to make it, if he wasnt a dramatic, lunatic, he wouldnt have ratings, therefore he wouldnt have the money to afford the great facility that he has, therefore the animals wouldnt have the care ,and would be worse off in the long haul.

this isnt a personal attack on anyone, its just funny how attacks can be so thoughtless, come to georgia, you want to talk about a pain in the butt, corn snakes are illegal, any snake that could possibly be found here "naturally" are illegal, lizards, birds, rodents, etc,etc,etc, is it a bad thing? dont know, the indigo snake i am sure appriciates it as ther are 50 or something like that known in the wild here, anyway blah blah blah , just my two cents