Croc Hunter

[antnee]

This was probably not the smartest thing he ever did but better someone experienced like him does it than any other dim bulb

 

[Disneylvr]

Although I don't agree with Steve Irwin's actions and I believe he shouldn't of had baby Bob that close to the croc during a public demonstration, I really feel the baby wasn't in danger. First of all Steve Irwin is a professional and he himself was brought up around these creatures and knows them very very well. Sure crocs, as any animal, are unpredictable but they certainly don't have the agility (on land) of tigers as in the Sigfried and Roy incident or the bear incident mentioned. Now if Steve had his baby in the water that would be a different story but the point is HE DIDN'T! Please understand that Steve Irwin has such a passion (which I think is being mistaken by some as a need for attention and "ego") for these crocodiles, other repitles and wildlife conservation in general and wants the world to understand and appreciate the circle of life which includes animals like crocodiles which are hated, feared and hunted by many. I really feel badly for him right now and wish the media would just get over it.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Yeah Right... and Sigfried and Roy don't have a passion???? And, that bear enthusiast, (who has also been exposed as a liar and fame-seeker) didn't have a passion??? And Snake handlers don't have a 'passion'?

IMHO someones 'passion' in no way makes it Okay for them to endanger others... (like the lady in the audience at S&R) and ESPECIALLY innocent children. It is NOT okay.

And, about safety. Again, do not even try to tell me that these children or people are safe. Yeah Right... S&R fully believed in the safety of what they were doing. What if it had been somebody in the audience had been mauled... perhaps a child who had done something to gain the attention of one of the animals??? ( After all, on TV they see the stunts of others like Steve Irwin, S&R, snake handlers, etc.. who make it look just SOOOO fun!!!) A false sense of safety and security is VERY dangerous. Why did S&R not have staff standing by with some type of a gun... even a dart gun... They had to get fire extinquishers after that tiger????

One persons perception of safety does not alter the truth.

Those who are trying to justify these types of actions and place a passion for dangerous animals above the safety of children are the ones who need to get over it.

There is absolutely NO valid reason to place any minor child in harms way. period.

 

[Disneylvr]

Originally posted by Wishing on a star
There is absolutely NO valid reason to place any minor child in harms way. period.

Whether or not we want to acknowledge it, we put our children in harms way each and everyday. Life cannot be lived in a protective bubble. When I strap my dd into her carseat and drive down the highway to her daycare there is a danger involved on the highway (even in a car seat) and her being in daycare. Letting a child ride a bicycle(even with a helmet), walk to school, participate in sports, get immunizations (some children have had deadly reactions).......all have the potential of putting a child in danger even when certain safety precautions have been taken. But we don't think of those things sometimes because they are part of our normal everyday life. To Steve Irwin being in close proximity to the crocs and other animals at his zoo is part of his, his wife and childrens everyday life. They live in the zoo, most people do not. We will never be able to view this incident through his eyes nor can he see through your eyes why you think his actions were wrong. I don't think he should of done it either BUT I don't live in a zoo, have never met a crocodile and perhaps I would think differently if I was raised surrounded with wildlife. That is why I can't judge him to be a bad parent.

 

[sha_lyn]

Forthose who say he did it for the attention. Oh please. First of all not only is running this Zoo his job, it is also his home. Oh and to address those who say he only does what he does for attention or out our of some salf desire to commit sucide... His parents started this zoo and it is where he was raised. So if he chose this way of life to commit sucide or gain attention he chose it before he was born.
I doubt his career is is any jeapordy. He was doing this decades before he appeared on TV and he will continue to do it for decades to come.

Do we know where the footage came from that has been shown. do we know for certain that it wasn't someone personal video that they gave to the media? Even if a "prfessional" recorded it, do we know that this event was planned and that the media were invited to watch?

I think a lot of people are jumping all over this without having any of the facts.

Oh and as for him walking Bob on the ground. It was after the croc had been given the chicken and the croc was heading into the water to eat his food. This (eating in the water)is something the will instictively do, so Steve (the real expert not the arm chair experts here) knew exactly what he was doing.


Last night on Larry King Jack Hanna was also jumping all over Steve. Then he talked about the loins he had in his back yard while his children were growning up. He also mentioned he knew very little about Crocs and had made the mistake of handling one once wihtout proper knowlege. He was trying to hold it for a camera shot and it jumped out of his hands and damaged a $6000 camera. AS much as I like Jack Hanna he seemd to have a "Do as I say not as I do" attitude about the whole thing.

 

[minniepumpernickel]

I saw Jack Hanna on LK Live. He said that when he was a young man the crocodile jumped out of his arms during a lecture. He said that he has gained experience over the years, and has learned his lesson. What about all of the other examples that he gave? Especially the one where a man in Africa was going to the waters edge to get a pail of water and he was gobbbled up by a croc?

He also gave an example of a three year old boy that got his arm ripped off by some type of large cat at a zoo.

He claims that the crocodiles are as quick as lightening. If he said that he wouldn't do what Steve did, it makes sense to me.

He said that his children never went into the fenced in area with the lions in his back yard. He taught them to respect the animals with dignity. Makes sense to me!

 

[Nutsy]

Oh dear minniepumpernickel I think you would get on well with Steve.............

Me.........I hate spiders & snakes............the other day when we were up there at Aust Zoo they brought snakes through the grandstand & I swear I was scared stiff, so much so that I almost shreiked.

My 14 yr old on the other hand wanted to pat the thing.......



I think you also have some good points as far as Steve is concerned & all this media garbage.

For everyone out there who thinks he's a madman............think it.....but remember.............are we (the general public) in a position to judge him.? Do we have the knowledge of crocs that Steve has or more so? Have any of us been raised with crocs in our back yard? Would any of you let your other half take your baby swimming or for that matter out for a walk in the pram............Yes of course you would................so much of what we do is dangerous, but we don't see that. But, when someone else does something, who are the first people to criticise & say hey, you can't do that, that is dangerous & you are a acontrol freak or you just want attention.

This guy is passionate about these animals.........yes people have been taken by crocs.........but why not take a minute to analyse how come??

Anyone ever thought to do that? My guess is not!

Entering water, be it on the edge or swimming where Crocs are..........IS asking for trouble............in water they are extrememly fast, but as Steve pointed out to all........on land we humans can actually walk faster than a croc can walk forward.

Yes, crocs are dangerous, as are any animal..........even the family dog in some cases, but do we stop getting our kids a puppy in case one day it may turn on the child & harm it? No, we don't, we still go out & buy that cute puppy, but think of this...................when that dogs turns on your child or someone elses do you think you've done something wrong? Afterall it was the parents who bought the animal into the household around their own children.

What Steve did & what we would do are two totally different things & I honestly believe that unless you have had the experience he has & you can top his knowledge of crocs then nobody can say what he did was wrong.

We don't know what he knows, we have not been raised in a backyard of crocs & snakes. We have not caught crocs or had any close contact with them.

So, let it rest..................unless of course anyone has more experience than Steve Iriwn, if so..........then get yourself to Aust Zoo & in front of the media & show yourself to the world.

AMEN.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Sorry Nutsy... but, no I do not have to have Steve Irwins 'expertise' to know that a tiny one month old baby has NO place within a few feet of a huge crocodile who is just licking its chops for its anticipated snack...

Jeez.... Justification can sure warp common sense and reasoning!

 

[minniepumpernickel]

Nutsy,
I hate to keep debating it, because it seems to bother you so much! You sound so nice!

I remember when I was really little and I got this book about Australian wildlife. It had a picture of a baby platypus being held in someones hand. I remember thinking how incredible it would be to see such a strange and unique looking animal in the wild!

I can only imagine what it would be like to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef! I've seen the Sea Dragon exhibit at the Baltimore Aquarium. They looked almost surreal.

Okay well, maybe if this makes it over to the debate board I'll stay more on topic!


See ya!

 

[Nutsy]

Originally posted by minniepumpernickel
[I can only imagine what it would be like to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef! I've seen the Sea Dragon exhibit at the Baltimore Aquarium. They looked almost surreal.

See ya! [/B]

The Great Barrier Reef is beautiful, but I've never snorkeled....lots do tho & I'm sure if that was your passion, then you'd love it.


But remember, to stay out of the rivers up there as they are likley to have crocs in them, the ocean is fine tho