Steve Irwin 1962-2006

I was saddened today by the news that Steve Irwin, aka 'The Crocodile Hunter', died unexpectantly. I remember watching the 'Crocodile Hunter' on discovery channel when it came out and couldn't tell initially if Irwin was sincere or a put on. I came to enjoy the program as I realized that this was indeed a sincere, funny, warm, dedicated and nutty guy. His passion for the conservation of dangerous animals was genuine and heartfelt and it shone through in his documentaries.

What happened today seemed to be sadly inevitable being that he spent so much of his time around vicious and powerful adversaries. It reminds me in a small way of Werner Herzog's documentary 'Grizzly Man' about Timothy Treadwell who spent years living amongst Grizzly Bears in Alaska. As much as you can criticize these men, you have to respect their courage and conviction in their need to try to protect these dangerous species.

Steve Irwin was a charismatic, energetic and enthusiastic personality and I can't help but feel the world has lost someone special.