I was saddened to wake this morning to the news that Steve Irwin had died.
Steve, better known as The Crocodile Hunter, was only four days older than me. He was known worldwide for his enthusiasm and exuberance when presenting his wildlife programmes.
Whilst he often drew critisism for his antics, not least for feeding a crocodile while holding his baby son, he introduced a whole generation to the diversity of wildlife that inhabits the planet.
One of the things about his death that upsets me most, was the fact that it was apparently a Stingray that killed him. The Stingray is normally a very docile creature that would rather swim away that lash out with its poisened-barbed tail. I have seen serveral Stingrays on my diving holiday, including this one last February in the Maldives, and have never considered them dangerous. Having seen Steve's antics on the TV, I can't help wondering if he was provoking it just a bit too much...
Posted at 20:26