Pero no es músico, era una personalidad, un aventurero, y la verdad me caia bien el cabrón.
Steve Irwin, mejor conocido como "El Cazador De Cocodrilos" murio hoy 4 de septiembre por un ataque de mantarraya.
1962 - 2006
Les dejo la nota original:
Steve Irwin, the khaki-clad wildlife stalker who won global fame for his televised death-defying crocodile stunts and whose booming voice made “Crikey!” in a ripe Australian accent an international catchword, was killed today by a stingray while filming a documentary at the Great Barrier Reef off Australia’s northeast coast.
He was 44, and witnesses said he appeared to have died from cardiac arrest following the stingray attack.
Mr. Irwin was diving at the reef to film segments for a television show, “The Ocean’s Deadliest.” Witnesses on Mr. Irwin’s boat, “Croc One,” and on a nearby diving vessel said that when Mr. Irwin came close to a stingray, its barb pierced his chest and lodged in his heart.
In an interview with reporters in Australia, Prime Minister John Howard termed the death “a huge loss to Australia,” adding that Mr. Irwin “was a wonderful character. He was a passionate environmentalist. He brought joy and entertainment and excitement to millions of people.”
Mr. Irwin’s television shows, including “The Crocodile Hunter,” appeared in more than 100 countries on cable television, and he was an ebullient staple of American chat shows ranging from “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” to “Live With Regis and Kelly.” He customarily appeared in his trademark boots and khaki shorts and shirt, commenting volubly on animal conservation and showing clips of his fearless animal exploits, which included leaping on the backs of crocodiles, wrestling with boas and mastering poisonous snakes and spiders.
Though he had no scientific degree, and his theatrics and hyperbole were criticized by some scientists, “I think he could be considered a biologist rather than just a television personality,” said Dr. Leo Smith, an expert on venomous fishes in the department of ichthyology at the American Museum of Natural History. “He was knowledgeable and seemed to care passionately about wildlife. He took a very outgoing approach that made people less fearful of sharks and other mean things out there.”
Mr. Irwin’s death, Dr. Smith said, “is depressing, because the last thing you want is for the guy who says things are safe to be killed.”
But Mr. Irwin was widely criticized in 2004 for feeding a snapping crocodile inside a pen while holding his infant son Robert in one arm. He defended his action, saying he was in firm control of both the child and the crocodile, and was never charged with endangering his son’s welfare.
And while filming a documentary in Antarctica later that year, Mr. Irwin ran afoul of some environmentalists for coming too close to humpback whales, seals and penguins. Australian environmental officials did not press charges after an investigation.
Though Mr. Irwin was accustomed to confronting dangerous animals, deaths from ray attacks are unusual, Dr. Smith said. “On an average there are only one or two fatalities a year worldwide.”
Dr. Smith said there are approximately 120 known ray species and four families of venomous stinging rays. At the base of the tail is a spine or barb connected to a venom gland; in an attack, the spike and gland may be broken off and can remain in the wound. The stingray venom contains toxic proteins, and most stingray attacks pose risk from shock, infection and the venom’s toxicity, he said.
Most deaths are caused by heart injuries or blood loss. “The puncture alone could have done it,” Dr. Smith said of the attack on Mr. Irwin, “but the venoms do have major cardiac effects.”
Mr. Irwin spent his childhood in Queensland, Australia, where his parents operated a wildlife park; he grew up with wild animals, including crocodiles, which he trapped and moved from populous areas.
Mr. Irwin met his American-born wife, Terri, when she was vacationing in Australia in 1991. Film from their honeymoon in the wild — trapping crocodiles — was used in creating a documentary. She became his business partner, and — styled as the “Crocodile Huntress” — she was an on-screen co-star in his television shows and in a 2002 feature film, “The Crocodile Hunters: Collision Course.”
Mr. Irwin also appeared in the 2001 film “Dr. Dolittle 2” with Eddie Murphy. His fame engendered books, action figures and interactive games, and his parents’ wildlife park, renamed Australia Zoo and expanded and developed by Mr. Irwin, became a popular tourist attraction.
He is survived by his wife, a daughter, Bindi Sue, and a son, Robert Clarence.
