The Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin had died.. <<no joke!>>

[DannyBoy]

I know it has already been said, but I want to join with all the rest of you in expressing my great admiration, sadness, and thankfulness to Steve for all the animal conservation efforts and personal influence that he has given so many of us. "Crikey", what a great man, he will be missed!!

[Spider Tyrant]

The greatest thing I have read was in that video...

Thank you Steve, for everything you have done. I only wish we could have expressed this while you still were alive.

My dream was to work with you, and I am both disheartened and motivated to step up and become a figurehead and outspoken person for conservation.

[AMOS]

he was an awesome guy ... i remeber while watching his show they were tearing down an old exihbit to make a bigger one and in the middle of it he stopped the construction for velvet geckos and mad sure they were all out before they started construction and he also let the geckos go into his office and realesed moths and beetles for the geckos to eat...it just shows you how awesome and great of a guy he is

[Radical]

Steve Irwin was one of the greatest people on the face of the earth. He dedicated his life to conserving wildlife, and educating people of the benefits of our critters. He provided a very educational, entertaining, and fun show for over 500 million viewer.

He's been an inspiration to many people.

He changed the World.

He was a great father.

He was a good man.

Rest in peace, mate.

You will never be forgotten.

[extreme_bci]

I still can't bleve this happen. I'v been very sad for the last few days. I'v been watching him since I was 4 years old, so I have grown up with him. I'v seen ever show that he has done. It really feels like I have lost a very very close friend of mine and an idol.

There was some people that did not like him becues his hands on aproch on thing's. But even they can't say that he was not a GOD in the herp world. He really opend up millions of millions of people around the world to reptiles. 'From hey look at that ugly snake to Hey look at what a beautful animal this is'. He was very passionate, and all he wanted to do was to educat the world on what he loved to do. And he did a good Job in my opinion. This is a very sad day for all of us Herp lover's. In the words of Steve ( The reason I was put on this planet was to save wildlife, thanks for coming with me) That one alwas brings a few try to my eye's.

My prayers go out to his family and friends.

He may have past but his spirit will live with us all.

You will not be forgotton my good friend.

R.I.P STEVE IRWIN

[Sleepy_FF]

Originally Posted by extreme_bci

I still can't bleve this happen. I'v been very sad for the last few days. I'v been watching him since I was 4 years old, so I have grown up with him. I'v seen ever show that he has done. It really feels like I have lost a very very close friend of mine and an idol.

you know, i feel the same way. i grew up watching him (i wasnt 4 tho), and i loved him for all he did, it really DOES feel like ive lost an old friend and an idol. he was so open about his life and his family, he made sure you, the viewer, knew his family, made sure you felt right at home.

Originally Posted by extreme_bci

He may have past but his spirit will live with us all.

i couldn't have said it better myself. well said.

[JuliusSqueezer]

As predicted, the local news here said he died after being "attacked" by a stingray. I hate ignorant reporting of news. He wasn't "attacked". They are going to have people fleeing the waters now every time a stingray is spotted like it's Jaws or something. I thought he swam unknowingly over a burrowed ray. He followed one into the shallows swimming on top of it? Wow...any ray scooting along the bottom being hovered over by anything running into the shallows is the same as cornering one. I honestly can't imagine any ray acting in any other way than to get up about as far towords shore as it cares to go, stop, flip a barb up into whatever that is hovering threateningly overtop and darting back out into deeper water. They are extremely docile creatures but they do have a defense for when they are threatened. I've been completely swarmed by them several times ..but in a good way. I LOVE hand feeding them. They allow a lot of contact and seem to be mindful of their own barbs not to graze them on you ..BUT pin one down, step on it or herd it up into the shallows blocking it's retreat back to open water and the barbs come out...every time. I know the timing is bad to criticize but...He knew better. Experience creates "lax" sometimes and poor judgment prevails. His last lesson that I hope everyone takes notes on is to never become lax with any wildlife. Love, devotion and appreciation does not mean we can take it for granted. Steve did like to get up close to stuff though didn't he? I suspect he's always known one day the risks he takes would martyr him eventually. I guess the biggest shock of all to me is that I'm shocked that he died. He was a daredevil afterall.

[SSReptiles]

I just keep hoping this is a bad dream. I will wake up, and he's alive. But today, I woke up, and the news is still there. I just watched all the tributes to Steve Irwin on the news last night and on Animal Planet. I flipped threw so many channels, and he was there all over the cable network. I seriously touched us all. I'm still in shock today.

[mpgt]

Like everyone else, I'm very upset about this. It also hurts to see the effect it has had on my 2 daughters. My 7-yr old is one of his biggest fans. You can only immagine the loss his family and friends are feeling. I think we should focus on prayers for his family and doing our part to "take up the flag" in whatever way we can. Steve took risks. If he didn't, he would've never achieved what he did. I hope I can be more like him one day. I think he was a great example for the rest of us, in almost every way. He was passionate about and dedicated to is family, every bit as much as he was to his work.

I've "played it safe" almost all my life. Take it from me; it doesn't always pay. I've heard 3 different versions of the circumstances that caused this tragedy. We may never really know if Steve did anything wrong here. It's certainly too soon to judge that anyway, even if one was a witness. One thing is for sure. I'll tell family members I love them, even if they don't want to hear it. Life's too short.