Success...It's All in the Letter P By now we are familiar with Nigel Lythgoe, the British television director and producer, who created such smash hits as Ameri...

Is There a Warrior in you?

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Original Publication Date:
October 2006

On September 4th, Bindi and little brother Bob lost a dad. Terri lost a husband. Bob lost a son and his best mate. The continent of Australia lost an ambassador. The Australia Zoo lost a leader. The animal kingdom lost their staunch ally and our world lost one colorful wildlife icon.

We came to know him as the crocodile hunter for the extraordinary way he brought his beloved crocs and other seemingly untouchable critters into our homes, up close and personal. Over the years, as his rising star continued to rise, he found unbelievable and interesting tactics to educate us like no one ever had, and, in doing so, found an enduring place in our hearts.

I don't need to recount the events that took his life, except to say it was certainly not what we would have expected which makes this unprovoked freak accident with a normally placid creature all the more tragic, and almost ridiculous. Here's a man who so often and so willingly put himself in the jaws of danger,literally,and was killed in an instant by the sudden jab of a stingray's barb. My hope is that the video that captured those last terrible moments on tape will remain private or be destroyed and never see the light of day.

The business he had chosen as his life's work was risky to say the least. It was his calling, his destiny, and he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Of course he was an entertaining bloke, since he knew what it would take to get and keep our attention. Like a kid at Christmas, his wide-eyed enthusiasm was contagious. He was excited. He wanted us to get on board with his excitement. He wanted us to understand what makes these animals tick and the role they play in the grander scheme. He wanted us to love them like he did. He was all about conservation--pure and simple. Known to millions for that exuberance and the catch phrase "Crikey!," there was nothing about this man that was fake or contrived. He was no act. Anyone who knew him, to a person, said the same of Steve, "He was the same in the morning when he stepped out of bed as he was at the end of the day. Camera or no camera, what you saw was what you got." He was, in fact, the real deal. Upon hearing about the nature of the accident, a wildlife friend of Steve's commented, "It shouldn't have been hard for the stingray to catch Steve in the heart. It had such a big target."

I've heard the few mean-spirited folks who have come out against him twisting his intentions, questioning his sincerity, and criticizing his career? Only misguided or misinformed curmudgeons would spout such negative and unjustified remarks. Sometimes judgmental people can't help themselves and say foolish things. Then there's the PETA crowd who have come to believe they are the ultimate authority and have the last word on the treatment of animals. They have expressed happiness, yes happiness, about the fact that Steve is now gone and the animals won't have to suffer at his hand any longer. If I hadn't read those exact words and heard the corroborating interviews, I wouldn't have believed it myself, but, unfortunately, it's true. So they think arrogant and insensitive comments like that further their cause? (Makes you want to run out and buy a juicy cheeseburger!) And don't let me hear another word about the long ago baby dangling incident and how Steve reportedly endangered his child while feeding a croc. The whole media frenzy created around that occurrence WAS a crock.

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