Monday, September 04, 2006

Crikey!


Photo released by Animal Planet

It’s early, it’s a holiday, and I have the feeling that today is going to be a disaster. The Crocodile Hunter is dead. He’s my daughter’s hero. Animal Planet is her favorite show. This man played with all kind of deadly snakes and animals and it was a sting ray that finally got him—putting its barb into his heart which is something I can’t quite fathom. This might be worse than when Mr. Rogers died when she was four years old. Maybe she’ll sleep all day. Pray for me, my daughter, and especially for Steve Irwin’s family.

18 comments:

  1. And pray for me too because now that this guy is headline news for the next 24 hours or so, the husband will be doing his impersonation of him. It's funny for the first 2 minutes.

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  2. Since you've seen Grizzly Man, how do you think Steve and his alligators compare to Tim and his bears?

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  3. Sadly I heard that his wife is hiking in some remote location and that she did not know. But the whole world does. I imagine your daughter will be upset. It is a painful life lesson. ichele sent me.

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  4. I just found out about this sad news...it is terrible. His poor family and millions of children that love(ed) him.
    have a grand day- here from michele's

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  5. I had to call my 8 year old nephew but my dad had beaten me to the bad news. The kids loved him.

    I really hate it for his family (and for him) he seemed so nice. If he had to go this young though I am sure he would have rather it been in his world doing what he loved. (A guy we graduated with just turned 40 with 2 lovely little girls and has in-operable bone/brain cancer.)
    The Crocodile Hunter will be missed! I pray for his children, wife, family and close friends....and the children like your daughter who loved him.

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  6. He went doing something he loves. It's a sad thing, definitely. He gave lot's a people an insight into the animals that scare us the most.

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  7. i know. horrible horrible news. very sad for his family and your daughter and all the others who loved him.
    sad sad sad.

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  8. Am sorry for your daughter, and am sad for his family

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  9. To be done in by a stingray must be just embarrassing. It's sad because so many of his fans were little kids. Break it to your daughter gently.

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  10. Unbelievable isn't it? Of all the ways I expected to one day hear of his demise, this wasn't it.

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  11. It is sad! Many people loved him and the work he did. Some things are hard to understand and accept. I'll pray for you, your daughter, and his family.

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  12. I agree with all of you that this is very sad (I somewhat wonder if I was too quick to make fun of my daughter's trauma). By the way, she's doing well and wanted me to watch Animal Planet with her when we got back from a river canoe trip today. So we sat and watched him catch some crocks.

    M (short for Murf folks), I think Steve Irwin was a much better role model for animal rights than Grizzly Man. But they both seemed to play to the camera.

    Dawn, you're right, he went doing what he loved and he did give us insight into a lot of animals most people would want to do away with.

    yellojkt (are you from GA?) I've swam around sting rays--but not as large as some of those are down there. I've know a few people who have been stung by them too--but it generally is from stepping on one in the ocean--but that stingray had a 10 inch stringer--and it was just a fateful placement that got him (at least that's what it sounds like from the media)

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  13. Sage: in answer to your question left on my blog comments, here are the link to what I light-heartedly refer to as the "Poseidumb Adventure": aka, one of my experiences backpacking in the Wind River Range of western Wyoming:

    http://www.outofthinair.homestead.com/poseidumb.html

    From there, you can get to Part II.

    Beautiful place, arduous to get out of (at least where we used to go in).

    Best wishes to your daughter; losing an idol in childhood is what it is; time's a great healer.

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  14. I feel for your daughter. It is hard to see an idol pass. I hope she finds another worthy of her,

    As for Irwin, I feel for his family but I do not feel for him. He knew he was in a risky occupation and gloried in it. I still have visions of him with baby in hand, handling crocodiles al a Michael Jackson

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  15. It was Jack Hanna who said it best. "When you play with wild animals, you're playing with a loaded gun and you never know when it is going to go off." Sadly it went off early for Irwin.

    I've fed stingrays sardines with my bare hands. Never knew they were so deadly. Glad the gun didn't go off for me.

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  16. Sorry for your daughter and prayers are w/ the family.
    Chana
    www.bunnyburrow.com

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