Crocodiles, Grizzlies and Other Wild Animals
Posted by: Denelle
The world (well at least those that are fans of Animal Planet) is mourning today the death of Steve Irwin, otherwise known as the "Crocodile Hunter." He was killed earlier today while filming an upcoming t.v. special off the Great Barrier Reef. Ironically, it wasn't the crocodiles who had made him famous that killed the avid conservationist, but a stingray who managed to hit Irwin directly in the heart, tearing a hole, with its poisonous barb.
Despite coming under criticism in 2004 for feeding an adult crocodile with one hand while holding his baby boy with the other, Irwin was well respected by his colleagues around the world. Jack Hanna, former director of the Columbus Zoo and friend of Irwin's stated this morning that:
Not Just An Isolated Incident
Not quite three years ago, the world witnessed the death of another "hands on" animal "expert" when Timothy Treadwell was mauled to death by a grizzly bear. Treadwell had spent ten summers living among the grizzly population of Alaska and had become a self proclaimed/taught/documented expert on the animals, gaining fame as "The Grizzly Man."
Unlike Irwin, Treadwell had no formal education with the animals, just a passion for them that he credited to saving his life.
The Creator of All
It is moments like these that really make you stop and consider just how tiny and fragile humans are in the whole grand scheme of God's creations. We are forced to remember that no matter how much we know (or think we know) about nature, there is a healthy level of respect and caution that should accompany our interaction with all of it's aspects.
The world (well at least those that are fans of Animal Planet) is mourning today the death of Steve Irwin, otherwise known as the "Crocodile Hunter." He was killed earlier today while filming an upcoming t.v. special off the Great Barrier Reef. Ironically, it wasn't the crocodiles who had made him famous that killed the avid conservationist, but a stingray who managed to hit Irwin directly in the heart, tearing a hole, with its poisonous barb.
[it is] suspected Irwin died because the barb pierced under his ribcage and directly into his heart. "It was extraordinarily bad luck. It's not easy to get spined by a stingray and to be killed by one is very rare."
Despite coming under criticism in 2004 for feeding an adult crocodile with one hand while holding his baby boy with the other, Irwin was well respected by his colleagues around the world. Jack Hanna, former director of the Columbus Zoo and friend of Irwin's stated this morning that:
Irwin's persona of the Crocodile Hunter was no act. Irwin grew up around crocodiles, snakes and other animals at his parents' Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park and had been handling such creatures since he was a child.
"Steve really knew what he was doing. He was one of the finest reptile
people in the world. He knew more about reptiles than anybody did. He was raised that way."
Not Just An Isolated Incident
Not quite three years ago, the world witnessed the death of another "hands on" animal "expert" when Timothy Treadwell was mauled to death by a grizzly bear. Treadwell had spent ten summers living among the grizzly population of Alaska and had become a self proclaimed/taught/documented expert on the animals, gaining fame as "The Grizzly Man."
Unlike Irwin, Treadwell had no formal education with the animals, just a passion for them that he credited to saving his life.
The Creator of All
It is moments like these that really make you stop and consider just how tiny and fragile humans are in the whole grand scheme of God's creations. We are forced to remember that no matter how much we know (or think we know) about nature, there is a healthy level of respect and caution that should accompany our interaction with all of it's aspects.
