MOVING FAREWELL TO WILDLIFE WARRIOR

[Anonymous]

Moving farewell to ‘wildlife warrior’
This
was a made-for-television memorial service which brought together the
two contrasting worlds which Steve Irwin occupied: the expansive
wilderness of the Australian Outback, and the extraordinary fame of
Hollywood.Sure, there were tributes from stars like Russell Crowe and
Cameron Diaz, and a deftly-worded eulogy from Prime Minister John
Howard.But the real emotional power came from the family and friends of
Steve Irwin, like Wes Mannion, his mate at the Australia Zoo, who broke
down in tears as he remembered the day when the Crocodile Hunter saved
his life.There was music from a choir wearing the Crocodile Hunter’s
trademark khaki uniform, and at one stage three elephants were brought
into the Crocoseum arena, the poolside stadium where Steve Irwin
delighted fans with his wildlife antics.But then he always said that
the animals should be the stars.The biggest cheer was reserved for his
daughter, eight-year-old Bindi, who already has her own television show
and is set to follow in her father’s perilous footsteps.Clearly, she is
a natural performer and a youngster of extraordinary poise.The service
was interspersed with film of Steve Irwin in action, grappling with
crocodiles, staring down snakes – his unique blend of adventurism and
bravado which made him a global sensation.The service reached its
climax with Steve Irwin’s white pick-up truck being loaded with
croc-hunting gear, and then driven slowly from the arena.Then staff
from the Australia zoo laid a floral tribute, spelling out his
catchphrase: “Crikey.”It is easy to be cynical, but the effect was
genuinely moving.And the show was not over yet. Anthony Field, the
blue-shirted member of that other great Australian global phenomenon
The Wiggles, leapt energetically onto stage shouting “Croc Rules”.

Potty homage
This
has been an extraordinary couple of weeks to be in Australia, in no way
comparable to the wave of emotion that convulsed the UK after the death
of Princess Diana, but fascinating nonetheless.Much of the reaction
seems to have been kid-driven by the Crocodile Hunter’s young army of
adoring fans.And perhaps some of it stemmed from a sense of guilt: that
Irwin received greater approbation outside of Australia, certainly at
the start of his television career, than at home.Certainly, there has
been a very public re-evaluation of his lifetime’s
accomplishments.Prior to his death, I doubt if many Australians knew
the full extent of his conservation work: the fact that he financed so
many projects from the dollars generated by his television success. His
claim to be a “wildlife warrior” was no idle boast.Though it did not
make any of the television specials and retrospectives, one of my
favourite tributes came on a radio phone-in show on the afternoon that
Steve Irwin was killed.A young mother chirpily recalled the day that
her young infant managed to perform potty duties for the first time
without any mishaps.In celebration, she told her proud young son that
he could call anyone in the world to share the good news.”I want to
call the Croc Hunter,” came the cry

[Author]

September 21, 2006 at 9:36 AM