steve the best[1]

8/6/2019 Steve the Best[1]

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/steve-the-best1 1/11

’’IENACHITA VACARESCU’’ NATIONAL COLLEGE

STEVE IRWIN:

AUSTRALIA’S CROCODILE HUNTER

Student’s Name:Morisca AdinaCoordinating Teacher:Tolea Ecaterina

Targoviste

2011



2 The Crocodile Hunter and related works

The Crocodile Hunter is a wildlife documentarytelevision

series that was hosted by SteveIrwin and his wife Terri. The show

became popular andin each programme, audiences were often

spellbound byIrwin's dangerous encounters with animals. He thought

nothing of tangling with deadly snakes, spiders, lizards,and, of

course, crocodiles. In addition to his hair-raisingadventures, Irwin considered himself a

wildlife educator,sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for animals with his

viewers..Originally airing only on Australia television,The Crocodile Hunter began to gain

popularity and eventually,in 1996,reached the United States and United Kingdom.It was now a

part of the Animal Planet network.By 1999,The Crocodile Hunter was being watched in 137countries by 500 million people. Irwin's exuberant and enthusiastic presenting style, broad

Australian accent, signature khaki shorts, and catch-phrase "Crikey!"(an Australian expression

of surprise or excitement) became known worldwide.

American satellite and cable television channel Animal Planet ended The Crocodile

Hunter with a series finale entitled "Steve's Last Adventure." The last Crocodile Hunter

documentary spanned three hours with footage of Irwin's across-the-world adventure in

locations including the Himalayas, the Yangtze River, Borneo, and the Kruger National

Park.The Crocodile hunter had five seasons: Season 1 (1997) Season 2(1998) Season 3

(1999–2000) Season 4 (2000–2002) Season 5 (2002–2004)

Other television and film works

Irwin went on to star in other Animal Planet documentaries, including Croc Files, The

Crocodile Hunter Diaries, and New Breed Vets.Irwin appeared as himself in the 2001 film Dr. Dolittle 2 with Eddie Murphy . The next year Steve and his wife starred in their own film The

Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course which went on to win a Young Artist Award for "Best

Family Feature Film" and grossed more than double its production costs at the box office. In

the film he (who portrayed himself and performed numerous stunts) mistakes some CIA agents

for poachers. He sets out to stop them from capturing a crocodile, which, unknown to him, has

actually swallowed a tracking transmitter.

http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9418676







With only a guest appearance in the Wiggle's movie Wiggly Safari (2002)and a brief

voice-over in Happy Feet (2006) after Collision Course, Steve's movie career was short-lived.

However, he continued to excel in what he knew best, television.

During a January 2006 interview on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Irwin announced

that Discovery Kids would be developing a show for his daughter, Bindi Sue Irwin — a plan

realised after his death as the series Bindi the Jungle Girl.

Media campaigns

Irwin was also involved in several media campaigns. He enthusiastically joined with

the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service to promote Australia's strictquarantine/customs requirements.His payments for these advertising campaigns were directed

into his wildlife fund. In 2004, Irwin was appointed ambassador for The Ghan, the passenger

train running from Adelaide to Alice Springs in the central Australian outback, when the line

was extended all the way to Darwin on the northern coast that year. For some time he was

sponsored by Toyota. Irwin was a keen promoter for Australian tourism in general and

Queensland tourism in particular. In 2002, the Australia Zoo was voted Queensland's top

tourist attraction. His immense popularity in the United States meant he often promoted

Australia as a tourist destination there. As a part of the United States' "Australia Week"

celebrations in January 2006, Irwin appeared at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles,

California

‘’Ocean’s Deadliest’’(2007) was Steve’s last documentary.He is joined by explorer and

adventurer Philippe Cousteau, grandson of the famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, as

they explore the waters between Australia's Gold Coast and the Great Barrier Reef. Throughout

this expedition, Philippe and Steve come face to face with venomous fish, huge great white

sharks and amazing saltwater crocodiles as they search for the region's most dangerous animal.

Along the way, they will meet the scientific experts who work with these creatures on a

regular basis, learning the reason why they have evolved with such dangerous defenses and

also learning that, in truth, they fill a role in the overall ecosystem that is vital and cannot be

overlooked. Their adventure features amazing and breathtaking moments, including subduing a

giant crocodile in order to attach a satellite tracking device; observing the feeding behavior of

the great white shark while safely tucked away inside a dive cage and working with the



Australian experts who capture deadly sea snakes in order to supply anti-venom to the rest of

the world.

3.Controversies

Irwin occasionally drew criticism for his stunts. Some said that he was exploiting

the animals that appeared on his shows. He stirred up even greater controversy in 2004 for

feeding a crocodile while holding his infant son. Many were shocked by the images of Irwin

and his son Bob with the snapping crocodile and accused Irwin of child endangerment. Irwin

was never charged in regard to this incident and stated that his son was never in harm's way.

He grew up in a zoo environment and wanted the same for his son and his daughter Bindi Sue.

In June 2004, allegations were made that he disturbed wildlife (namely whales, seals

and penguins) while filming a documentary, Ice Breaker , in Antarctica. The matter was

subsequently closed without charges being laid. After questions arose in 2003 about Irwin

being paid $175,000 worth of taxpayers' money to appear in a television advertisement and his

possible political ties, Irwin told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that he was a

conservationist and did not choose sides in politics.

His comments describing Australian Prime Minister John Howard as the "greatest

leader in the world" earned him scorn in the media.

4.Death

On Sept. 4, 2006, at the Great Barrier Reef just off the coast of northern Queensland,

Steve and his crew planned to shoot footage for the new documentary Ocean's Deadliest .

Because of bad weather, however, Steve decided instead to get some shots in shallower waters

for his daughter Bindi's show. While swimming, Steve accidentally got too close to a stingray.



In response to Steve's presence, the stingray defensively shot up its barb, piercing straight

through Steve's heart. John Stainton, who had worked with Steve for years since the very first

Crocodile Hunter episode, could not believe the events. Paramedics raced to Steve's aid, but it

was too late. . Irwin died of cardiac arrest shortly after being stung. The events were caught on

camera, and a copy of the footage was handed to the Queensland Police. Irwin's body was

flown to a morgue in Cairns. His wife, Terri Irwin, who was on a walking tour in Cradle

Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in Tasmania at the time, returned via a private plane

from Devonport to the Sunshine Coast with their two children.

public reaction

News of Irwin's death prompted reactions around the world. Then Australian Prime

Minister John Howard expressed his "shock and distress" at the death, saying that "Australia

has lost a wonderful and colourful son."[ Queensland Premier Peter Beattie commented in a

Channel Seven television interview that Irwin would "be remembered as not just a great

Queenslander, but a great Australian". The Australian federal parliament opened on 5

September 2006 with condolence speeches by both the Prime Minister, John Howard, and the

Leader of the Opposition, Kim Beazley. Flags at the Sydney Harbour Bridge were lowered to

half mast in honour of Irwin.

Several Australian news websites went down because of high web traffic, and for the first

time, the "top ten" list of most-viewed stories for Fairfax Digital news sites was swept by a

single topic. Talk-back radio experienced a high volume of callers expressing their grief. The

television interview show Enough Rope re-broadcast a 2003 interview between Irwin and

Andrew Denton on the evening of his death. The Seven Network aired a television memorial

show as a tribute to Irwin on 5 September 2006, as did the Nine Network on 6 September.

The U.S. feed of the Animal Planet cable television channel aired a special tribute to

Irwin that started on Monday, 4 September. The tribute continued with the Animal Planet

channel showing highlights of Irwin's more than 200 appearances on Discovery Network's

shows. CNN showed a repeat of his 2004 interview on Larry King Live. Late-night talk show

host Jay Leno—on whose show Irwin had appeared more than ten times—delivered a tribute

describing Irwin as a great ambassador of Australia. There were also tributes on Live with

Regis & Kelly and Barbara Walters' The View.



Hundreds of people visited Australia Zoo to pay tribute to the deceased entertainer

and conservationist. The day after his death, the volume of people coming to pay their respects

affected traffic so much that police reduced the speed limit near the zoo and told motorists to

expect delays. BBC reported on 13 September that thousands of fans had been to Australia Zoo

since Irwin's death, bringing flowers, candles, stuffed animals and messages of support. In the

weeks after his death, Irwin's conservation foundation, Wildlife Warriors, reported that

thousands of people from around the world were offering their support via donations to the

conservation group.

5.Honours and Contributions

In 1997, while on a fishing trip on the coast of Queensland with his father, Irwin

discovered a new species of turtle. Later given the honour of naming the newly discovered

species, he named it Irwin's turtle ( Elseya irwini) after his family. Another newly discovered

Australian animal — a species of air-breathing land snail, Crikey steveirwini, was named after

Irwin in 2009.

In 2001, Irwin was awarded the Centenary Medal by the Australian government for

his "service to global conservation and to Australian tourism". In 2004, he was recognised as

Tourism Export of the Year. He was also nominated in 2004 for Australian of the Year — an

honour which was won that year by Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh. Shortly before his

death, Irwin was to be named an adjunct professor at the University of Queensland's School of

Integrative Biology. On 14 November 2007, Irwin was awarded the adjunct professorship

posthumously.

In May 2007, the government of Rwanda announced that it would name a baby gorilla

after Irwin as a tribute to his work in wildlife conservation. Also in 2007, the state government

of Kerala, India named the Crocodile Rehabilitation and Research Centre at Neyyar Wildlife

Sanctuary in his honour; however, Terri objected that this action had been taken without her

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elseya_irwini

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crikey_steveirwini


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elseya_irwini


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala



permission and asked the Kerala government in 2009 to stop using Irwin's name and images ]

— a request which the state government complied with in mid-2009.

Irwin was a passionate conservationist and believed in promoting environmentalism

by sharing his excitement about the natural world rather than preaching to people. He was

concerned with conservation of endangered animals and land clearing leading to loss of

habitat. He considered conservation to be the most important part of his work: "I consider

myself a wildlife warrior. My mission is to save the world's endangered species." Irwin bought

"large tracts of land" in Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the United States, which he described as

"like national parks" and stressed the importance of people realising that they could each make

a difference.

Irwin founded the Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation, which became an

independent charity and was later renamed "Wildlife Warriors Worldwide". He also helped

found International Crocodile Rescue, the Lyn Irwin Memorial Fund (named in memory of his

mother, who died in an automobile crash in 2000), and the Iron Bark Station Wildlife

Rehabilitation Facility. Irwin urged people to take part in considerate tourism and not support

illegal poaching through the purchase of items such as turtle shells or shark-fin soup.

Irwin made many contributions to the field of wildlife education and conservation

during his life. He ran an organization to rescue and protect crocodiles and supported numerous

other animal charities. Many of nature's dangerous creatures lost their greatest champion the

day Irwin died.

6.Conclusion

Curiosities about him

- He was scared to death of parrots, especially the sulfar crested cockatoo. When he was four

years old, he almost had his nose bitten off by his father's pet sulfar crest. The only bird he felt

comfortable around was a black cockatoo, named Ularoo.

- Stopped personally greeting zoo visitors when he witnessed a little girl getting knocked down

and seriously injured by a fan rushing to meet him.

- Owned a red and white motorbike which he rode around Australia Zoo. This was one of the

main ways to determine whether he was at the Zoo or not.

- Over 360 million people tuned in to watch the Steve Irwin Memorial Service on Animal Planet

on September 19, 2006.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Irwin#cite_note-40%23cite_note-40

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Irwin#cite_note-40%23cite_note-40



- Has had a road named in his honor: Steve Irwin Way in Beerwah, Queensland on Australia's

Sunshine Coast.

- Was on camera when he was killed. The only copy of the video was given to his widow Terri

Irwin. She claims to have destroyed the footage without ever viewing it.

- One of his quotes was:"I am a wildlife warrior, and I will fight, fight to the death for wildlife."

Motivation

Steve Irwin was a passionate environmentalist,becoming famous and world-wide

known for the television programme,,Crocodile Hunter’’ and his enthusiasm for wildlife.I think the

first time I saw him was on Animal Planet and I was impressed by the way he handles crocodiles

and the excitement that he gets when rescuing one.Coming from a modest family,Steve know how to be enjoy the simple things,but

important in life and he inherited the passion and dedication for wildlife from his parents.Their

wildlife park,Australia Zoo,was given to Steve,which he managed to transform into a major tourist

attraction.This way,he offered veryone the chance to see all kinds of wild animals from from

kangaroos,rhinoceros and camels to exotic parrots ,venomous snakes and lizards.

Also he brought a great contribution to his country by discovering new and

interesting things about crocodiles.Steve helped endangered species to make a come back andhe quickly established himself with the Queenland's government on the process of the country's

Crocodile Relocation Program, in which the reptiles could be transferred and relocated to

proper localties in the most absolute humane, non-tranquilizing manner. It is indisputable that

Steve Irwin had a long-lasting impact on not only his fans, but the television network that he

embraced for years, Animal Planet.

All these things motivated me to write about himand understand that this world

really needs people devoted to their work,whichever it may be.



7.Bibliography

http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/crochunter/crochunter.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Irwin

http://www.biography.com/articles/Steve-Irwin-189158

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5311298.stm









steve the best[1]

Documents