AUSTRALIA / THAILAND: Tributes pour in for TV naturalist Steve Irwin

An elephant camp in Thailand which iconic TV naturalist Steve Irwin had plans to visit next month held a tribute on Tuesday (September 5) to the Australian "Crocodile Hunter" killed by a stingray barb in a freak accident on Monday (September 4, 2006). About 20 mahouts (elephant drivers) and a bull elephant attended the memorial service for Irwin at the Ayutthaya Elephant Palace, 80 km (50 miles) north of Bangkok. They laid a wreath and observed a moment of silence while a handful of tourists looked on. Princess Rangsinopdol Yugala, sitting on the neck of the pachyderm covered with a red piece of cloth symbolising a royal animal in the ancient battle, then read out a tribute addressed to Irwin's family. The tribute praised Irwin's "selfless contribution" to animal conservation. Speaking after the ceremony, Rangsinopdol said she has been working in conservation for 40 years and has been inspired by Irwin's work. "It's a big loss. I've been inspired to follow in the footsteps of Steve but I don't think I'll be taking the kind of risks he did," she said. Irwin is also popular in Thailand, where his show appears on a Thai cable network. Camp owner Laithongrein Meepan said Irwin had pledged to donate 1 million baht ($26,790) to a DNA project for elephants in Thailand during his visit next month to film a documentary on the lives of Thai elephants. Australians are still trying to come to terms with the sudden death of the Khaki-clad "Crocodile Hunter". Irwin, 44, tangled with some of the world's most dangerous animals, but he died in an extremely rare attack by a normally placid sea creature while he was diving on a reef off Port Douglas in northern Queensland. A helicopter rushed paramedics to nearby Low Isles where Irwin was taken for treatment, but he was dead before they arrived, emergency officials said. Irwin's death was likely only the third recorded fatal stingray attack in Australia, experts said. They said stingray venom was agonisingly painful but not lethal, although the barb was capable of causing horrific injuries like a knife or bayonet. Mourners laid floral tributes outside the gates of Irwin's "Australia Zoo". Born on February 22, 1962, in the southern Australian city of Melbourne, Irwin moved to tropical Queensland where his parents ran a small reptile and fauna park. He took over the park in 1991 and renamed it the "Australia Zoo." Known around the world for his catchphrase "Crikey" during close encounters with wild animals, Irwin made almost 50 documentaries which appeared on the cable TV channel Animal Planet. He became a virtual global industry generating books, interactive games and even toy action figures. Irwin was described as "a modern-day Noah" and his death shocked world leaders, fellow naturalists and humble Australians who said he was "a bloody good bloke". Irwin triggered outrage in 2004 by holding his then one-month-old son while feeding a snapping crocodile at his zoo. He was also criticised for allegedly disturbing whales, seals and penguins while filming in Antarctica. Irwin boasted that he had never been bitten by a venomous snake or seriously bitten by a crocodile, although admitted his worst injuries had been inflicted by parrots.

ITN Source | September 6, 2006

Tags:. .contribution. .princess. .sudden. .ancient. .symbolising