My heart aches for you....
we will miss your laughter,
your childlike spirit,
your illuminating energy,
and your caring heart.
Find rest...
and may you forever know peace
Irwin was a passionate conservationist and believed in promoting environmentalism by sharing his excitement about the natural world rather than preaching to people. He was concerned with conservation of endangered animals and land clearing leading to loss of habitat. He considered conservation to be the most important part of his work: "I consider myself a wildlife warrior. My mission is to save the world's endangered species." Irwin bought "large tracts of land" in Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the United States, which he described as "like national parks" and stressed the importance of people realising that they could each make a difference.
He had urged people to take part in considerate tourism and not support illegal poaching through the purchase of items such as turtle shells, or shark-fin soup.
Steve Irwin:
"These Hitlers use the camouflage of science to make money out of animals… So whenever they murder our animals and call it sustainable use, I'll fight it. Since when has killing a wild animal, eating it or wearing it, ever saved a species?
There are people who butt out their cigarettes in gorilla-paw ashtrays, with wastepaper baskets that were once elephant feet, who have ivory ornaments… who wear cheetah fur. Don't buy these things! Then there'll be no market and the animals won't be killed.
We have domesticated livestock raised for consumption and perfectly good fake leather and fur, so why must we kill wild animals to satisfy the macabre taste of some rich person?"
He founded the Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation, which was later renamed Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, and became an independent charity. He was described after his death by the CEO of RSPCA Queensland as a "modern-day Noah"
News of his death prompted widespread shock. Australian Prime Minister John Howard expressed his "shock and distress" at the death, saying that "Australia has lost a wonderful and colourful son." Queensland Premier Peter Beattie commented in a Channel Seven television interview that Irwin "will be remembered as not just a great Queenslander, but a great Australian". Several Australian news websites went down because of high web traffic and for the first time the top 10 list of most viewed stories for Fairfax Digital news sites were swept by one topic. Talk-back radio experienced a high volume of callers expressing their grief.
Irwin was very popular in the United States, and tributes flooded U.S. talk shows following Irwin's death. Jay Leno delivered a tribute to Irwin, describing him as a great ambassador of Australia. Irwin appeared on Leno's talk show on more than ten occasions. There were also tributes on Live with Regis & Kelly and Barbara Walters' The View; on the former show, Kelly Ripa came close to tears with her praise of Irwin. The View's co-host Rosie O'Donnell described informing her son of Irwin's death as if Superman had died for him. Professional wrestler Matt Striker made light of the incident - joking about stingrays on ECW and prompting an apology from WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
Amid the outpouring of public grief, Germaine Greer published a criticism making statements such as "the animal world has finally taken its revenge" and referring to Irwin's rebuttal to criticism as "That sort of self-delusion is what it takes to be a 'real Aussie larrikin'". The Australian media reacted with distaste to the article amid the praise offered for Irwin. Some notable Australian politicians regarded Greer's commentary with derision; her remarks were subsequently stamped as "insensitive and, frankly, stupid" by Peter Beattie and "gratuitous, politically correct claptrap" by Shadow Foreign Affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd. Writing in The Australian, John Birmingham describes his own shock at learning of Irwin's death and his outrage at the "elites", as he describes some including Greer, and their "harsh" and "unfeeling" sentiments.
Hundreds of people visited Australia Zoo to pay tribute to the deceased entertainer and conservationist. The day after his death, the volume of people visiting the zoo to pay their respects affected traffic so much that police reduced the speed limit around the Glass House Mountains Road and told motorists to expect delays. BBC reported on 13 September 2006 that thousands of fans have been to Australia Zoo since Irwin's death, bringing flowers, candles, stuffed animals and messages of support.
Some people disgust me. Publishing disgusting remarks about his death the way Greer did. They're no different than the scum that showed up at the funerals of our Marines holding up signs that said, "Thank God for dead soldiers".
It amazes me how insensitive and malicious some people can be.
That man has a family. Show some fucking respect.
your childlike spirit,
your illuminating energy,
and your caring heart.
Find rest...
and may you forever know peace
Irwin was a passionate conservationist and believed in promoting environmentalism by sharing his excitement about the natural world rather than preaching to people. He was concerned with conservation of endangered animals and land clearing leading to loss of habitat. He considered conservation to be the most important part of his work: "I consider myself a wildlife warrior. My mission is to save the world's endangered species." Irwin bought "large tracts of land" in Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the United States, which he described as "like national parks" and stressed the importance of people realising that they could each make a difference.
He had urged people to take part in considerate tourism and not support illegal poaching through the purchase of items such as turtle shells, or shark-fin soup.
Steve Irwin:
"These Hitlers use the camouflage of science to make money out of animals… So whenever they murder our animals and call it sustainable use, I'll fight it. Since when has killing a wild animal, eating it or wearing it, ever saved a species?
There are people who butt out their cigarettes in gorilla-paw ashtrays, with wastepaper baskets that were once elephant feet, who have ivory ornaments… who wear cheetah fur. Don't buy these things! Then there'll be no market and the animals won't be killed.
We have domesticated livestock raised for consumption and perfectly good fake leather and fur, so why must we kill wild animals to satisfy the macabre taste of some rich person?"
He founded the Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation, which was later renamed Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, and became an independent charity. He was described after his death by the CEO of RSPCA Queensland as a "modern-day Noah"
News of his death prompted widespread shock. Australian Prime Minister John Howard expressed his "shock and distress" at the death, saying that "Australia has lost a wonderful and colourful son." Queensland Premier Peter Beattie commented in a Channel Seven television interview that Irwin "will be remembered as not just a great Queenslander, but a great Australian". Several Australian news websites went down because of high web traffic and for the first time the top 10 list of most viewed stories for Fairfax Digital news sites were swept by one topic. Talk-back radio experienced a high volume of callers expressing their grief.
Irwin was very popular in the United States, and tributes flooded U.S. talk shows following Irwin's death. Jay Leno delivered a tribute to Irwin, describing him as a great ambassador of Australia. Irwin appeared on Leno's talk show on more than ten occasions. There were also tributes on Live with Regis & Kelly and Barbara Walters' The View; on the former show, Kelly Ripa came close to tears with her praise of Irwin. The View's co-host Rosie O'Donnell described informing her son of Irwin's death as if Superman had died for him. Professional wrestler Matt Striker made light of the incident - joking about stingrays on ECW and prompting an apology from WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
Amid the outpouring of public grief, Germaine Greer published a criticism making statements such as "the animal world has finally taken its revenge" and referring to Irwin's rebuttal to criticism as "That sort of self-delusion is what it takes to be a 'real Aussie larrikin'". The Australian media reacted with distaste to the article amid the praise offered for Irwin. Some notable Australian politicians regarded Greer's commentary with derision; her remarks were subsequently stamped as "insensitive and, frankly, stupid" by Peter Beattie and "gratuitous, politically correct claptrap" by Shadow Foreign Affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd. Writing in The Australian, John Birmingham describes his own shock at learning of Irwin's death and his outrage at the "elites", as he describes some including Greer, and their "harsh" and "unfeeling" sentiments.
Hundreds of people visited Australia Zoo to pay tribute to the deceased entertainer and conservationist. The day after his death, the volume of people visiting the zoo to pay their respects affected traffic so much that police reduced the speed limit around the Glass House Mountains Road and told motorists to expect delays. BBC reported on 13 September 2006 that thousands of fans have been to Australia Zoo since Irwin's death, bringing flowers, candles, stuffed animals and messages of support.
Some people disgust me. Publishing disgusting remarks about his death the way Greer did. They're no different than the scum that showed up at the funerals of our Marines holding up signs that said, "Thank God for dead soldiers".
It amazes me how insensitive and malicious some people can be.
That man has a family. Show some fucking respect.