VCU remembers the ‘Crocodile Hunter’

Australia lost a native son. America lost a beloved television personality. Together, we lost the “Crocodile Hunter.”

Steve Irwin, 44, died Monday after swimming too close to a stingray. The frightened stingray stabbed Irwin in the chest with its poisonous barbed tail. Irwin died not long after pulling the sword-like tail from his chest.

Taylor Baltimore, a university relations coordinator with Children, Inc., a worldwide organization assisting the world’s neediest children in Richmond and abroad, said, “It’s like Superman died.”

Irwin was an active participant in animal awareness around the world. He was on the front line to bringing the lives of animals to television screens in a high-tech world.

“I’m bummed,” said Keith Long, a student organization coordinator who was disheartened by Irwin’s death. “I will miss him. He was an advocate for animals.”

Irwin was born Feb. 22, 1962, to Bob and Lyn Irwin, who founded the Australia Zoo. The zoo was home to over 100 crocodiles, some of which the Irwins caught and others the family bred. As a child, Irwin played with the animals and helped feed and maintain them. He practically had no fear of them.

Irwin developed a keen understanding of animals and in 1992 married Terri, who shared his sentiment toward animals. Together they put a face to animals’ rights and environmental conversation. Irwin, oftentimes with Terri making a guest appearance, made several documentaries, hitting the prime time in 1992 with “The Crocodile Hunter.”

The show’s close shots of animal mouths with rows of razor-sharp teeth caught the attention of viewers around the world.

“If I was flipping through and he was on, I would watch him,” said Student Government Association President Ali Faruk, calling Irwin’s death a tragedy. “People started getting into animals because of him.”

While people everywhere felt the loss, some celebrated his life.

“I think it’s good he died doing something wild and crazy that he loved,” said alumna Danielle Sims, who works at Shula’s 2 in the Sheraton Hotel. “The day he passed we had discount shooters.”

What kind of shooters?

“Sex with an alligator!”