No Crocodile Tears
Posted on Wednesday, September 6, 2006
The tears that have been
shed by many around
the world for crocodile hunter Steve Irwin are like the tears reserved for a lost friend. In Australia, the outpourings of grief and admiration have been unbelievable — tributes the likes of which one normally associates with deceased heads of state. In fact, the Crocodile Hunter, who was killed by a stingray Monday while he was filming off the Great Barrier Reef, has been offered a state funeral in his home country. What was it about this daring, energetic, wide-eyed conservationist that touched so many people so deeply ? Was it the wonder he so obviously felt in the presence of the world’s most dangerous and magnificent animals — a wonder that seemed to mirror that of his fans ? Was it his infectious enthusiasm ? Could it have been the danger he courted, the element of uncertainty he brought to the table ? Would we have watched if his show had been called “ The Koala Hunter” ?
No doubt, all of these things contributed to Irwin’s widespread appeal. But perhaps the most important part of “ The Crocodile Hunter” equation was the feeling regular viewers had that they knew this guy, that he was real. What they saw was what they got, and that made all those other things — the wide-eyed wonder, the danger — even more appealing.
No doubt most of us, when we read the headlines over the holiday weekend, expected to read further and learn that Irwin had finally miscalculated while dealing with a crocodile, or perhaps a deadly snake. The fact that he died while filming underwater, killed by an animal that rarely harms humans, came as a shock.
At least one person who knew Irwin shared those sentiments.
“ He always pushed himself to the very limits, ” said Irwin’s manager, John Stainton, “ but I thought he was invulnerable and I think he did, too. I would never imagine it to come from something like a stingray. ”
In the years after his “ The Crocodile Hunter” television show debuted in the early 1990 s, Irwin became an entertainment icon — a TV star. Many people no doubt see his death in that light. They’re responding the way they would to news of any famous person’s untimely death.
But off camera, Irwin was a dedicated conservationist who worked to promote better treatment and understanding of animals. People who shared his love of animals and his desire for more knowledge about them are no doubt feeling this loss far more keenly than those who were simply attracted by the daredevil nature of his exploits.
Some of us lost a television viewing option. Animal lovers lost a kindred spirit. Forgive them their tears.
Irwin’s death provides a reminder of just how dedicated Irwin was to his fans and his work — and of just how dangerous nature can be, especially when we least expect it.
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