Steve Irwin: My Favorite Animal Lover

Steve Irwin

Name: Stephen Robert Irwin
DOB: Feb. 22, 1962
Where: Essendon, Victoria
DOD: Sept. 4, 2006(age 44)
Where: Batt Reef, Queensland. Stingray accident
Nickname: The Crocodile Hunter
Occupation: Zoologist, Naturalist, Conservationalist, Herpetologist
Years Active: 1997-2006

-He was best known as The Crocodile Hunter and had a TV show of the same name, which was a wildlife series in which he hosted it with his wife Terri. They worked at the Australia Zoo, 80 miles north of the Queensland capital Brisbane.
-He died on Sept. 4, 2006, after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming an underwater documentary called Ocean's Deadliest.

Early Life
-Born on his mother's birthday to Lyn and Bob Irwin in Essendon, a suburb of Melbourne.
-Moved to Queensland in 1970 with his parents, where he attended Landsborough State School.
-Soon, Bob and Lyn Irwin started the small Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, where Steve grew up around crocodiles and reptiles

-On his 12th birthday, he got a 12 foot scrub python
-At age 9, wrestled his first gator
-In 1992, the zoo was renamed the Australia Zoo

Career
-In 1991, met Terri Raines, an American naturalist from Eugene, Oregon.
-According to the couple, it was said to be love at first sight
-They got married on June 4, 1992, and together they have 2 kids: a daughter named Bindi Sue Irwin and a son named Robert Clarence Irwin. Bindi got her name from 2 of Steve's favorite animals: Bindi, a saltwater crocodile and Sui, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier

-He described his daughter Bindi as the reason he was put on this Earth

-They did not wear rings or any jewellry because they feared it would pose a hazard to the animals
-In 1996, The Crocodile Hunter show premiered. It became known worldwide because of his broad Australian accent, trademark khaki shorts, his enthusiasm about animals and his catchphrase "Crikey!"
-Later on, Bindi went and did something similar to her father. She started her own animal show called Bindi the Jungle Girl

-He was very enthusiastic about conservation and decided to promote environmentalism
-He later founded the Wildlife Warriors Worldwide foundation.
-He also 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
-Was a massive fan of the Essendon Bombers, an Australian rules football club

Death
-On Sept. 4, 2006, Irwin was pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef, in Batt Reef, located off the coast of Port Douglas, in northern Queensland.
-He was filming a documentary called Ocean's Deadliest.

-He was in the shallow water when a stingray suddenly turned and lashed out at him with the barb of it's tail.
-The events were caught on camera and was handed over to the Queensland Police.
-According to a coroner's report, it was said that due to a combination of the toxins and puncture wound, Irwin died of cardiac arrest. It was also believed that Irwin removed the barb, causing the death
-Even though the video was destroyed, somehow still pictures and videos ended up on YouTube. I witnessed firsthand that horrid video, when a student in my senior year computer class was watching it, laughing his butt off. He said it was funny, said "Man, that guy is stupid." Pissed me off to no end!


Memorial at the Queensland Zoo








Public Memorial Service
-A public memorial service was held at the Crocoseum at the Australia Zoo on Sept. 20, 2006
-Included a speech by Australian Prime Minister John Howard, as well as by celebrities from Australia and around the world, like Hugh Jackman, Cameron Diaz, Russell Crowe, Justin Timberlake, Kelly Ripa, Larry King, David Wenham, Kevin Costner.