Steve Irwin Crocodile Man

Get Over It

Published on January 5, 2004 By Muggaz In Current Events

The vibe we are receiving in Australia is that this poor man is being crucified by the American media and general public for something that he, and many Australians consider perfectly normal - maybe we are making a mointain from a molehill, but the media here has a serious inferiority complex, and when anything is reported from America concering Australia, it tends to be rather sensationalised.

Just because you, or your kids weren't brought up near wild animals doesn't give you, or anyone the right to judge someone on their methods of raising their kids.

When i was 2 years old i was in known Shark Waters, and was not unfamiliar with Kangaroos, or any other wild animal for that matter - i have no fear of any animal now, but i am grateful for my parents, as a lot of Australians would be, for educating us on how to act around animals. I have a certain respect for Animals that you cant 'learn' in books.

It is quite normal here, and a man of Steve Irwins stature in the world of wild animals definitlety knows what he is doing - we really need to encourage interaction between man and animal, because i am afraid it will be a thing of the past in the not to distant future.

Comments (Page 1)

JeremyG

on Jan 05, 2004

Right on, people are way overacting. It's like saying you shouldnt take a baby into a plane even if you're a trained pilot.

Tech Cat

on Jan 05, 2004

I have seen the footage and I consider it child endagerment. It doesn't take an animal expert to know better than to do what Steve Irwin did.

Locamama

on Jan 05, 2004

I always liked Steve Irwin. I did not like watching the footage because I guess the worrywart in me goes what if that croc did something Steve Irwin didn't expect while he was holding that little baby in his arms. But I also think that he was not doing anything to hurt or endanger his baby. He thought he was sharing something that he loves and had complete control over the situation. The question is can you always predict how an animal will behave? - no therefore you do not have control. BTW, I love Australian men, Hugh Jackman and Keith Urban - yummy - handsome and an accent what more could you want?

messybuu

on Jan 05, 2004

Sure, there is a chance that the alligator might do something unexpected, but there are many situations in which we place babies that could result in their deaths: driving (always a chance for crashing to one's death), flying (always a chance for crashing to one's death), taking them to the mall (always a chance of psycho terrorist), petting zoos (i.e. animal goes crazy and kills everything in its path), etc. Sure, the baby was in some danger, but babies are always in danger. At least the child was in the hands of a professional.

Tech Cat

on Jan 06, 2004

What if the alligator had attacked Irwin that day just as the tiger that attacked Roy Horn. Just because this alligator has never attacked anyone before doesn't mean that he will. I also don't believe that an alligator can tell the difference between food and a baby.

Muggaz

on Jan 06, 2004

Yes - us Australian men are rather rugged and handsome... Keith Urban is a Kiwi though... but they are practically Australia anyway...
Steve Irwin is one of the most genuine people you will ever come across... Everyone acknowledges that a Croc is unpredictable, and that they are dificult creatures to deal with, but at the same time, we should all acknowledge that if anyone can judge what a croc is going to do, it would probably be him... This has destroyed his marketability in the states, but i dont really think he cares how much money he is making, because he is doing what he loves - and thats what makes him the stand out guy that he is.

Jamie Burnside

on Jan 06, 2004

Correct me if I'm wrong but: Did a wallaby eat his first baby?

Muggaz

on Jan 06, 2004

his first baby was a wallaby... no, i am just messin with ya

wallaby's are the cutest little things, and would have trouble picking a fight with a mouse...

aljam

on Jan 07, 2004

Very interesting points. It's not as cut and dry of an issue as people would like to make it out to be. People tend to react with emotion rather than logic in most situations.

JillUser

on Jan 08, 2004

I like Steve Irwin a lot. As a parent, I thought his explaination of this being an example of teaching his kids what is in their back yard was just plain crazy. You can't teach a newborn anything ! He had meat dangling in one hand and baby/meat in the other. He has had tangles with crocs before. I am just wondering why a parent would put an infant in any unneccessary danger. Yes, kids are in danger all the time. All the more reason to not add to it!

I, personally don't equate this with Australia in general in any way. I might if enough Australians think this was perfeclty normal. I grew up around horses, bulls, bears, etc. I learned the dangers of them without having my parents put me in real danger. They taught me be reading to me and showing me how adults deal with these animals. It is hard enough for adults to deal with those kind of dangers. Children don't have the strength, instincts, or quick mindedness to deal with animal behavior.

I do think that just as many people put their kids/infants in equal danger every day by being too relaxed with them around dogs. A lot of people start thinking of there dogs as people. They are still animals no matter what and can do unpredictable, violent things if you don't keep a close eye out. Therefore, I don't think Steve should be persecuted any more than joe schmoe down the road that lets his 12 month old get in the face of the neighbor's dog. It is bad judgement all around.

Just as a disclaimer to dog lovers out there, I love dogs. I have grown up with dogs for as long as I can remember. I love them as part of my family but you always have to remember that they are animals and don't think like people. And that is all I have to say about that.

JillUser

on Jan 08, 2004

One more thing, if you have no fear of any animal, you are either ignorant or crazy. Bad things happen when people get over confident around dangerous animals. A certain amount of fear will keep you alive. Even Steve Irwin admits he gets scared, heart racing, around some venomous snakes. He almost got blinded by a cobra's spray one time.

JeremyG

on Jan 08, 2004

Let me step in here a minute.

First of all i completely disagree that you can't teach a new born anything. They dont "learn" in the way we think of learning at that age, but they do get conditioned. This is the whole reason they tell you that you should talk to your baby while it's still inside the womb. Because the baby will become accustomed to your voice from that very young age.

Often times marital arts instructors will begin to "train" their children before they can even walk. Not by teaching them to throw punches or build muscle but by playing poking-games like when you try to tickle someone. The baby doesnt learn a structured martial art, but they learn self defense in trying to block the hand from tickling them, just like an animal would by play-fighting with their brothers and sisters.

Now onto the more specific issue of animals. Steve irwin is a super-expert on the subject. He knows how fast crocs move, and how to slap their jaws down, etc. His goal, i'm sure, is to train his children to do what he does, just as his father did with him. By exposing his child to animals, especially "feirce" ones at such a young age, the child will grow to have a natural kinship with them. It's widely known that people who know how to just relax around animals can handle them much better.

This child is going to live in a wildlife zoo/rescue/preserve for the first part of it's life. Can you honestly look at Steve Irwin and tell me that you dont think HIS father sat him down near animals as a young child?

JillUser

on Jan 08, 2004

Young child, yes. Newborn, his baby was only a couple months old, no. An infant that age can not learn to do anything with its body at that age. It might learn to recognize sounds or shapes but that is about it. I know a lot about child development. A newborn had no place near an animal of any kind. I simply won't be convinced of that no matter what.

A newborn baby can hardly see. It can't control its body. How is it going to learn about crocs by being dangled by one while it is being teased with a piece of meat. Even if he were teaching it, what lesson did he teach? It seemed to me like he was doing it for publicity or was just not using his head. I am not condemning him. I am just objecting that it was a wise thing to do. It is his child. I dare say most would object to letting him do that with their own newborn.

I am wondering why it wasn't his older child that he was teaching? She's at least a couple of years old.

JeremyG

on Jan 08, 2004

I dont doubt he did the same with his other child, just maybe not on camera.

and i wasnt sayign he was TEACHING it anything....but the early conditioning of being acustomed to such animals, as you get acustomed to your parents voices, even while still in the womb.

JillUser

on Jan 08, 2004

Nope, still not buying it. He could accomplish the same by playing one of his videos for the infant. No need to have them in harms way.

Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:

Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums.
Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
It's simple, and FREE!