Crikey

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If you’re old enough, you probably remember Steve Irwin of the Australian Zoo. On November 15, people all over the world celebrate this amazing person and his incredible impact on the world of animals and people. Steve Irwin Day is celebrated internationally to honor the life of the infamous “Crocodile Hunter” who inspired thousands of people around the world to prioritize wildlife conservation and take more interest in and care of animals. His name is associated with environmental activism and wildlife conservation.

Steven Robert Irwin was born on February 22, 1960, in a home full of animals to parents who were in love with wildlife. His father was a wildlife expert and herpetologist and his mother was a wildlife rehabilitator who took care of injured or orphaned animals from snakes to kangaroos.

In 1970, Steve’s family moved to Queensland, where they opened a reptile park they called Beerwah Reptile and Fauna Park. Over the years, the name changed to Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park. Today, the park is known as the Australia Zoo, the zoo that created Steve Irwin Day in 2007.

Steve Irwin might not have had a degree in wildlife, but he certainly had a lifetime of knowledge and experience. Like a real-life Mowgli or Tarzan, Steve grew up surrounded by animals. When he turned six, he was given a 12-foot python. By age nine, he wrestled his first crocodile with supervision from his father.

In 1991, he got married to a woman who loved wildlife almost as much as he did, and it was footage from his honeymoon (which was spent trapping crocodiles) that formed the first episode of the TV series that brought him his fame, “The Crocodile Hunter.” The series pushed Steve Irwin into the public eye, and he became a beloved pop culture icon.

On September 4, 2006, Steve Irwin was on a diving expedition filming for “Ocean’s Deadliest” when a stingray pierced his heart and killed him. His public memorial service was viewed by over 300 million views worldwide.

Steve Irwin was a conservationist whose focus was on conserving endangered animals and ending illegal poaching and land clearing that could lead to the loss of habitat.

 

 

[JoeM 8,961]

I always though that guy had something wrong with him. 

Oh well his day.