Aussie Govt. Honors Irwin

"stingray attack"

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Leopardbreeder said:

Well...I am not going to say anything about him, but I'm not a big fan of some of the things he has done. I am not trying to be disrespectful, but it was bound to happen, anyone who sticks their head in an alligator mouth, or put your son in ones mouth, something bad is bound to happen.

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Controversies

A controversial incident occurred during a public show on January 2, 2004, when Irwin carried his one-month-old son, Bob, in his arm whilst hand-feeding a chicken carcass to Murray, a 3.8-metre (12.5-foot) saltwater crocodile. The infant was close to the crocodile, and comparisons were made in the press to Michael Jackson's dangling his son outside a German hotel window.[29] In addition, child welfare groups, animal rights groups, and some of Irwin's television viewers criticised his actions as irresponsible and tantamount to child abuse.[30] Irwin apologised on the US NBC Today Show.[31] Both he and his wife publicly stated that Irwin was in complete control of the situation, as he had dealt with crocodiles since he was a small child, and based on his lifetime of experience neither he nor his son were in any danger. He also showed footage of the event shot from a different angle, demonstrating that they were much further from the crocodile than they had appeared in the publicised clip.[32] Terri Irwin claimed their child was in no more danger than one being taught to swim. No charges were filed; according to one journalist, Irwin told officials he would not repeat the action.[33] The incident prompted the Queensland government to change its crocodile-handling laws, banning children and untrained adults from entering crocodile enclosures.[34]

In June 2004, allegations were made that he disturbed wildlife (namely whales, seals and penguins) whilst filming a documentary, Ice Breaker, in Antarctica. The matter was subsequently closed without charges being filed.[35]

Animal Planet released a "Crocodile Hunter" special called "Confessions of the Crocodile Hunter" which attempted to explain some of the incidents. This special argues that Irwin's son was never in danger of being harmed by the crocodile, and that Irwin was no threat to the animals in Antarctica.

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, vice-president of animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said it was "no shock at all that Steve Irwin should die provoking a dangerous animal". He added that "Irwin made his career out of antagonising frightened wild animals, that's a very dangerous message to send to children." He also made a comparison with another well known conservationist: "If you compare him with a responsible conservationist like Jacques Cousteau, he looks like a cheap reality TV star."[73][74] The son of Jacques Cousteau, Jean-Michel Cousteau, also a producer of wildlife documentaries, also took issue with Irwin's hands-on approach to nature television. Cousteau asserted, "You don't touch nature, you just look at it." Although it "goes very well on television", Irwin's approach would "interfere with nature, jump on animals, grab them, hold them, and have this very, very spectacular, dramatic way of presenting things" which Cousteau felt is "very misleading".[75] Jacques Cousteau's grandson, Philippe Cousteau Jr., however, was himself working with Irwin on the "Ocean's Deadliest" documentary at the time of Irwin's death, and later described him as "a remarkable individual". Describing their project, he said, "I think why Steve was so excited about it that we were looking at these animals that people think of as, you know, dangerous and deadly monsters, and they're not. They all have an important place in the environment and in the world. And that was what his whole message was about."[76]
Backlash against stingrays

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Grinning Geckos said:

Standing 10' away from a croc while feeding it (I've seen the video) is a far cry from putting your baby INSIDE it's mouth.

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Grinning Geckos said:

Standing 10' away from a croc while feeding it (I've seen the video) is a far cry from putting your baby INSIDE it's mouth.

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