Saturday, December 2, 2006

Tribute to Steve Irwin

Discovery Networks International and Animal Planet International mourn the loss of Steve Irwin, the world's Crocodile Hunter. Steve was beloved by millions of fans and animal lovers worldwide and was a true friend to Discovery Networks. He was also one of the world's most passionate conservationists. His loss will be felt for many years to come. Discovery Networks extends its thoughts and prayers to the family, staff and many friends Steve leaves behind.
Steve’s adventures were watched by over 200 million viewers in more than 120 countries around the globe, making him the world’s best known wildlife crusader.

Steve’s parents, Bob and Lyn Irwin, dedicated themselves to the protection of wildlife and founded the Australia Zoo when Steve was a child. They passed on their passion for endangered and threatened species and Steve helped out with the injured and orphaned animals that the zoo cared for. These included baby koalas and wallabies, but Steve also developed a keen interest in less cuddly creatures.

While most other little boys would be happy with a bicycle for their sixth birthday, Steve was given a 3.6m long python, which he called “Fred”. By the time he was 10, his dad had already taught him how to handle crocodiles and some of the world's deadliest snakes, without harming them or himself. As he got older, Steve helped his father rescue and relocate crocodiles in the rivers of North Queensland.

In his 20s, Steve volunteered his services to the Queensland government's rogue crocodile relocation programme, living alone for years in the mosquito-infested creeks, rivers and mangroves of North Queensland, apprehending huge troublesome crocodiles single-handedly and achieving a staggeringly successful catch rate.

In 1992, Steve and his friend television producer John Stainton, created a distinctive new style of wildlife documentary. The hour long programme, The Crocodile Hunter, featured Steve, his wife, American wildlife caretaker Terri Raines, and the animals of North Queensland.

Steve's boisterous charm, unconventional style and extraordinary daring, combined with Terri's wit and composure in dangerous situations and their amazingly close encounters with such potentially deadly creatures as crocodiles, venomous snakes and spiders, saw The Crocodile Hunter became a worldwide hit.

Steve followed this with the hugely successful and critically acclaimed Croc Files and The Crocodile Hunter Diaries, a behind-the-scenes look at daily life at Australia Zoo. He and Terri established a breeding programme to help such endangered species as the southern cassowary, koala, giant land tortoise, Fijian crested iguana and Komodo dragon.

The zoo, a dedicated conservation area covering over 250 acres, earned Australia's most prestigious tourism award as "Major Tourist Attraction" for 2003. In 2004, Steve was awarded the title of “Queensland Australian of the Year”.