OT: the Crocodile Hunter (Steve Irwin) is dead

[Intimidator]

I Don't believe he was reckless, I think he was smart enought to considder what could and what could NOT be done to an animal........... But you CAN NOT hug Crocodile's, kis snakes and take a bath with sharks and expect that it will work fine for the restr of your life....... so inevitable indeed..

[Atrocities]

By your standards, those of an in-experienced person, he was reckless, but to him, and most of the people who knew him both perfessionally as well as personally, considered him to be one of the best animal handlers on the planet. To you he was reckless because you are a professional animal handler like Steve was. Loosing him is a kin to loosing a world hero. He will be sorely missed.

[Hugh Manatee]

<i>I'm sure his people are going to do what they can to paint his demise as a fluke accident, one in a million, could have happened to anyone. Because doing so makes them feel better for helping him get in that situation and us feel better for watching.</i>


Actually from what I've seen on the news his death was exactly that. Stingrays are the most among the most docile critters in the sea(not unlike tuna), they have them in tanks at seaworld where you can pet them and feed them. It's not like he was jamming his finger up it's but when the stingray hit him, he was swimming along the floor of the sea and swam over one, it reacted as to swim away and it's spike got jammed in his chest right near his heart. These things have killed like 15 people over the last several years(I think in the recorded worldwide history of stingray attacks, it's double digits how many peopke get stung and die, he's number 15, most step on them, or like steve get hit if they are over them).

If he got his head bit off by a crock, yeah you'd be right, if a snake bit him 15 times in the face, you'd be right, but this is like getting bit by a poodle, getting a spilter, or eating a bad piece of lettuce, getting an infection/sick from it or getting hit in the chest by a baseball during a little league game and having your heart stop and dying that way.

[Atrocities]

His death falls squarely under the heading of "[censored] happens." I just wish that it didn't have to happen. He will be sorely missed.

[Black_Knyght]

I agree with AT here !!! Steve Irwin made the anmimal interaction he film appear entertaing and interesting, by adding a measure of danger to a jovial presentation. But never was he "reckless" or "unprofessional". He knew exactly what the limits were with the animals he dealt with, and was actually very wary of unusual behavior.

Getting stung by the Stingray wasn't actually much of an issue, as I understand it. WHERE he got stung was certainly more the issue. I've heard it said that same attack, striking a limb or different area, would've hurt like hell and been something to talk about in a later show. Getting hit in the heart is what made it a fatal accident.

[Black_Knyght]

'He lived with such passion'



Irwin's last moments caught on videotape

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

geoschmo said:
But personally I'll stick to the tried and true method of walking away instead.

On a side note, one thing you should NOT do when facing a snake is walk away. Stand stock still, don't move a muscle, and they'll go away. IIRC, stamping on the ground may help too, but I'm not sure about that. If you stand still, the snake certainly won't perceive you as a threat (if there are snakes that see us as food, they're bound to be limited to oversized anacondas and those of the Hollywoodius genus) and they'll slither their merry way away. Walking away might prompt the snake to attack you, even though it was merely being cautiously threatening before.

[geoschmo]

Strategia_In_Ultima said:

On a side note, one thing you should NOT do when facing a snake is walk away. Stand stock still, don't move a muscle, and they'll go away.

Do you have something to back that up? Snakes aren't usually out in the open and most strikes happen because people are tromping about in places where snakes like to hide. Knowing your suroundings and walking away from those areas is the best way to avoid getting bit I'm sure we can agree. Usually the person is hit before they even know the snake is there.

But everything I've read says if you are faced with the classic "stare-down" situation the best thing to do is calmly and slowly move directly away from the snake. It will most likely want to avoid you anyway so the key is to give it the room it needs to go where it wants as quickly as possible. Of course you don't want to turn on your heels and start running away and screaming, but standing still doesn't sound like a very good idea. The snake may be feeling cornered and if you don't move they are going to make you move.

[dogscoff]

Best course of action in any snake-threat situation is to call up Growltigga and ask to borrow a killer mongoose or two...

[Black_Knyght]

Irwin's death strikes a chord


Cousteau: Irwin 'a remarkable individual'


Filmed death of 'Croc Hunter' raises questions