Steve Irwin

couldnt believe it! He was a true hero! Only just found out VIA myspace!
he made me laugh so many times!
Hope is kid and wife are ok.. Horrible

he was killed by an animal that usually does not harm or attack humans so your last point is moot

I really like Steve and respect the work he did to get wildlife back into everyday people's lives. So much of the natural world is disappearing and he helped some to engage with it for the first time. For many it was only from their favourite chair in front of the TV, but it all counts. I wasn't so hot on his TV programmes, but he did so much more than that.

I feel sorry for his wife and kids. What a nice family they are and they were all working together to a common end. I hope they continue it all in Steve's memory. I think they will.

So, on the one hand I feel sad he's gone, but on the other hand he died doing what he loves: diving on the Barrier reef is a truly beautiful experience and there are far, far worse ways to go. In some ways it's something to respect in itself. Crickey!

All the way from northern ireland -

The man was a great entertainer and seemed a genuine nice guy, who will be missed.

RIP Stevo.

Horrible loss to the world and the reptile community, myself being a reptile keeper it is a huge shock.

He was an amazing guy - his enthusiasm and infectious humour brought a real sense of reality to the otherwise often grim cause of wildlife conservation.

Everyone I know liked him as a personality - he never came across as a celebrity, just a big kid doing what he loved. i always felt his antics with dangerous creatures were probably a lot safer than they looked. It is so sad that a freak accident could have ended his life in such a way - it is hard to see it as a real attack - but he died in a beautiful place, doing what he loved. He can't have suffered much - beyond the first 'crikey' - it must have been fast.

He has left a big hole in the wildlife community. Heartfelt sympathies to his family.

awwwww but what a life! i'm happy he got to live every day of his dream - he enjoyed every day of his life (hopefully), he had a passion for wild life and he threw himself into it.

i wish every day of the rest of my life to be as adventuresome and exciting as his was. i am sad that this accident took him way too early, but i am not sad that he lived such a wonderful life.

and this may sound warped, but i am glad he went out like he did. i would not have wanted to hear that he had been hit by a bus, or an a/c window unit fell on top of him......

Steve Irwin...

I dont have any pictures but I figured I would make a post in the Nature/animals section about Steve Irwin. I think it is sooo sad that a good man and a great conservationist had to die such a tragic death. I know he put him self in that position by getting into situations like that but the way he died was a freak thing. I feel so bad for his 2 little kids and wife and friends. I used to watch him everytime he was on. I am a really big herpetology enthusiast and he is sort of an icon to to people in the herpetology world and all of the conservation world for that matter.

If your going to reply to this please no stupidity or mean nasty comments.

Thank you.

I was a big fan of his, although sometimes it did scare me how far he was willing to go with wild animals. But his enthusiasm was infectious, his personality too. I heard that the ray was not a part of the filming they were doing, rather that it was burrowed under the sand, and was disturbed by accident. Steve didn't know it was there. It could have happened to anyone. My heart goes out to his family and friends, he will be missed all around the world.

I agree, he was a very important figure in the conservation and animal protection movements, a big loss for sure!!!

I saw the news last night on Yahoo & then CNN. The kids thought it was a hoax at first, but there it was in our paper today. Pretty sad. Too bad for his wife & kids, having a big chunk of their lives taken so suddenly.

Crikey, would you look at this? She's gorgeous, oh, she's feeling a bit grumpy today. She wants to have a little go at me, what a beaut!

*sigh* Gonna miss that.

-- John

So very very sad. He was a cool guy. My thoughts are with his wife and young family.

RIP Steve.

He was my age, just really getting started on the great adventure.

I'd like to think he's on a bit of a walk about in the Dreamtime.

My sincerest sympathy to his wife, Terri, and his children, Bindi Sue and Bob.

I'm so devastated for his family. He was such a down-to-earth celebrity - so different from any other high-profile person. He embraced life and did what he loved to do. As foolish as most of us think he was, he had such an enormous respect for the wild and HAD to have taken great care while doing his job otherwise he would have slipped up long ago. He probably had the same odds of being struck by lightning as what had happened to him today...it was a complete fluke of a situation. Everyone's time comes to an end...and this was his time, at the top of his game. He will be remembered as such.

It's sad when people say "it was bound to happen" or "I'm not surprised." I didn't hear a lot of that when Dale Earnheardt was killed - freak thing happened with his seat belt giving way. You don't hear it much when a cop is gunned down, either. It just happens.

I pray for his sweet family. They are all good people doing good things in the world. Drugs, thugs, and promiscuity - THAT lifestyle is playing with fire. This man educated people and saved animals. It's no more dangerous than the heroes in our fire and police forces. He was just in the spotlight more. He gave back to this world and he should be remembered properly - with the same respect and love he had for nature and the wild.

He will be sorely missed.

Steve...RIP....very sad day for all naturalists...Handling wildlife, just like large animal handling in farming is a job...
at only 44...sad day for his little family...we will miss him....

John