Flumesday.com - Crikey! Crocodile Hunter Dead at 44

Crikey! Crocodile Hunter Dead at 44

The Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, was killed Monday by a stingray while scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef. The Aussie was filming an underwater documentary off the coast of Port Douglas, Queensland when, as paramedics report, the stingray struck him in the chest. There is no definitive word, however, as to whether his last words were "Look at the beauty!" though I'm guessing they were. Irwin is survived by wife Teri and three children. He was 44. Irwin, an ardent environmentalist and animal rights activist, greatly contributed to the understanding of the animal kingdom and will be deeply missed by his fans. That being said, was anyone, and I mean anyone, on this earth begging to be killed by an animal more than Steve Irwin? This guy became famous by sticking his head in crocodile mouths, wrestling crocodiles to submission, putting his baby in the mouth of a crocodile, capturing deadly insects, taunting deadly snakes, you get the point. There are a couple of lessons to take from this story. The first is the age-old pearl of wisdom, "you never know what's gonna get you." Who would have thought a stingray would get the Crocodile Hunter? But the most important lesson is this: animals are crazy and no matter how good you are to them, they can flip out and kill you. Wild animals are not creatures of reason like some animal people like to believe. Steve Irwin's death proves that not only will wild animals kill anyone, but they will kill someone who dedicated his life to their protection and well-being. Because they don't know the difference. This guy will go down as a scientist, an innovator and a staple of my frat-house television diet.