Loss Of a Good Man
Steve Irwin, Wildlife Master, Is Killed by a Stingray at 44
By GLENN COLLINS
Published: September 5, 2006
Steve Irwin, the khaki-clad wildlife stalker who won global fame with his televised death-defying crocodile stunts and whose booming voice made “Crikey!” in a ripe Australian accent an international catchword, was killed by a stingray yesterday while filming a documentary at the Great Barrier Reef off Australia’s northeast coast. He was 44.
Witnesses said he apparently died of cardiac arrest after the stingray attack.
Mr. Irwin was on location in the area to film television segments, including material for “The Ocean’s Deadliest.” Witnesses on his boat, Croc One, and on a nearby diving vessel said that when he came close to a stingray, its barb pierced his chest and lodged in his heart.
In an interview with reporters in Australia, Prime Minister John Howard termed the death “a huge loss to Australia,” and called Mr. Irwin “a wonderful character.”
“He was a passionate environmentalist,” Mr. Howard added.
Mr. Irvin’s television shows, including “The Crocodile Hunter,” were seen in more than 100 countries on cable television, and he was an ebullient staple of American talk shows ranging from “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” to “Live With Regis and Kelly.” He customarily appeared in his trademark hiking boots and khaki shorts and shirt, commenting volubly on animal conservation and showing clips of his fearless exploits, which included leaping on the backs of crocodiles, wrestling with boas and mastering poisonous snakes and spiders.
Dr. Leo Smith, an expert on venomous fishes in the department of ichthyology at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, said that although Mr. Irwin had no scientific degree and some scientists criticized his theatrics and hyperbole, “he could be considered a biologist rather than just a television personality.”
“He was knowledgeable and seemed to care passionately about wildlife,” Dr. Smith said. “He took a very outgoing approach that made people less fearful of sharks and other mean things out there.”
Mr. Irwin’s death, he said, “is depressing because the last thing you want is for the guy who says things are safe to be killed.”
But Mr. Irwin was widely criticized in 2004 for feeding a snapping crocodile inside a pen while holding his infant son, Bob, in one arm. Though some likened the action to child abuse, he said he had been in firm control of both the child and the crocodile. He was never charged with endangering his son’s welfare.
While filming a documentary in Antarctica later that year, Mr. Irwin ran afoul of critics who said he came too close to humpback whales, seals and penguins, disturbing them. Environmental officials did not press charges after an investigation.
Though Mr. Irwin was accustomed to confronting dangerous animals, deaths from ray attacks are unusual, Dr. Smith said. “On an average there are only one or two fatalities a year worldwide,” he said.
Dr. Smith said there were approximately 120 known ray species and four families of venomous stinging rays. At the base of the tail is a spine or barb connected to a venom gland; in an attack, the spike and the gland may be broken off and can remain in the wound. The stingray venom contains toxic proteins, and most stingray attacks pose risk from shock, infection and the venom’s toxicity, he said.
Most deaths are caused by heart injuries or blood loss. “The puncture alone could have done it,” Dr. Smith said of the attack on Mr. Irwin, “but the venoms do have major cardiac effects.”
Stephen Robert Irwin was born in 1962 in a suburb of Melbourne and spent his childhood in Queensland, where his parents, Bob and Lyn Irwin, operated a wildlife park; he grew up with wild animals, including crocodiles.
He met his American-born wife, Terri, when she was vacationing in Australia in 1991. Film from their honeymoon in the wild — trapping crocodiles — was used in creating their first documentary. She became his business partner and, styled as the Crocodile Huntress, she was an on-screen co-star in his television shows and in a 2002 feature film, “The Crocodile Hunters: Collision Course.”
Mr. Irwin was caricatured in “South Park” for his penchant for phrases like “Check out the size of this bloke!” and “Whew, he’s getting cranky!” He also appeared in the 2001 film “Dr. Dolittle 2” with Eddie Murphy. His fame engendered books, action figures and interactive games and, for a time, tube-watching pub crawlers played a drinking game, hoisting a glass every time Mr. Irwin said, “Crikey!” or, “Isn’t she a beauty?” His parents’ wildlife park, renamed Australia Zoo and expanded and developed by Mr. Irwin, became a popular tourist attraction.
His survivors include his wife and son, and a daughter, Bindi Sue.
By GLENN COLLINS
Published: September 5, 2006
Steve Irwin, the khaki-clad wildlife stalker who won global fame with his televised death-defying crocodile stunts and whose booming voice made “Crikey!” in a ripe Australian accent an international catchword, was killed by a stingray yesterday while filming a documentary at the Great Barrier Reef off Australia’s northeast coast. He was 44.
Witnesses said he apparently died of cardiac arrest after the stingray attack.
Mr. Irwin was on location in the area to film television segments, including material for “The Ocean’s Deadliest.” Witnesses on his boat, Croc One, and on a nearby diving vessel said that when he came close to a stingray, its barb pierced his chest and lodged in his heart.
In an interview with reporters in Australia, Prime Minister John Howard termed the death “a huge loss to Australia,” and called Mr. Irwin “a wonderful character.”
“He was a passionate environmentalist,” Mr. Howard added.
Mr. Irvin’s television shows, including “The Crocodile Hunter,” were seen in more than 100 countries on cable television, and he was an ebullient staple of American talk shows ranging from “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” to “Live With Regis and Kelly.” He customarily appeared in his trademark hiking boots and khaki shorts and shirt, commenting volubly on animal conservation and showing clips of his fearless exploits, which included leaping on the backs of crocodiles, wrestling with boas and mastering poisonous snakes and spiders.
Dr. Leo Smith, an expert on venomous fishes in the department of ichthyology at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, said that although Mr. Irwin had no scientific degree and some scientists criticized his theatrics and hyperbole, “he could be considered a biologist rather than just a television personality.”
“He was knowledgeable and seemed to care passionately about wildlife,” Dr. Smith said. “He took a very outgoing approach that made people less fearful of sharks and other mean things out there.”
Mr. Irwin’s death, he said, “is depressing because the last thing you want is for the guy who says things are safe to be killed.”
But Mr. Irwin was widely criticized in 2004 for feeding a snapping crocodile inside a pen while holding his infant son, Bob, in one arm. Though some likened the action to child abuse, he said he had been in firm control of both the child and the crocodile. He was never charged with endangering his son’s welfare.
While filming a documentary in Antarctica later that year, Mr. Irwin ran afoul of critics who said he came too close to humpback whales, seals and penguins, disturbing them. Environmental officials did not press charges after an investigation.
Though Mr. Irwin was accustomed to confronting dangerous animals, deaths from ray attacks are unusual, Dr. Smith said. “On an average there are only one or two fatalities a year worldwide,” he said.
Dr. Smith said there were approximately 120 known ray species and four families of venomous stinging rays. At the base of the tail is a spine or barb connected to a venom gland; in an attack, the spike and the gland may be broken off and can remain in the wound. The stingray venom contains toxic proteins, and most stingray attacks pose risk from shock, infection and the venom’s toxicity, he said.
Most deaths are caused by heart injuries or blood loss. “The puncture alone could have done it,” Dr. Smith said of the attack on Mr. Irwin, “but the venoms do have major cardiac effects.”
Stephen Robert Irwin was born in 1962 in a suburb of Melbourne and spent his childhood in Queensland, where his parents, Bob and Lyn Irwin, operated a wildlife park; he grew up with wild animals, including crocodiles.
He met his American-born wife, Terri, when she was vacationing in Australia in 1991. Film from their honeymoon in the wild — trapping crocodiles — was used in creating their first documentary. She became his business partner and, styled as the Crocodile Huntress, she was an on-screen co-star in his television shows and in a 2002 feature film, “The Crocodile Hunters: Collision Course.”
Mr. Irwin was caricatured in “South Park” for his penchant for phrases like “Check out the size of this bloke!” and “Whew, he’s getting cranky!” He also appeared in the 2001 film “Dr. Dolittle 2” with Eddie Murphy. His fame engendered books, action figures and interactive games and, for a time, tube-watching pub crawlers played a drinking game, hoisting a glass every time Mr. Irwin said, “Crikey!” or, “Isn’t she a beauty?” His parents’ wildlife park, renamed Australia Zoo and expanded and developed by Mr. Irwin, became a popular tourist attraction.
His survivors include his wife and son, and a daughter, Bindi Sue.
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