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Steve Irwin's life was shortened when he was impaled on his chest by a skate in 2006 near the Great Barrier Reef. But his legacy remains immense. Popular TV character, zoo keeper, science educator and environmental advocate. He would have been 57 years old today and a Google Doodle not only pays tribute to him, but also to the work to which he has devoted his life.
You may know the most Irwin of his Crocodile hunter TV series, which documented his close encounters and seemingly dangerous with animals (including crocodiles), which he animated with his wife Terri from 1996 to 2004.
His television programs and shows have been broadcast in more than 100 countries and he has become a beloved (and sometimes crazy) global celebrity for his liberal use of the word "crikey!"
In the eyes of critics, his stunts sometimes went too far, like when he fed a crocodile holding his son in his arms. There was also an investigation into his film for filming too close to humpback whales and penguins, possibly endangering them. (He has never been charged with any crime.)
Antics aside, his dedication to the animals and his conservation began well before the show's exhibition.
His father, Bob Irwin, is a herpetologist who founded a zoo in Queensland, Australia, where Steve grew up. Steve would come to manage the park, which is now known as the Australia Zoo, and promote there educational and conversation efforts. "My job, my mission, the reason I was put on this planet, is to save the wildlife," he said once. He had reason to worry. The average population of vertebrates (birds, fish, mammals and amphibians) has declined by 60% since 1970, according to the World Wildlife Fund. The future of biodiversity on planet Earth, due to human activities, is bleak.
And they were not just words. His Wildlife Warriors charity has purchased hundreds of square kilometers around the world for wildlife conservation. The association, which still operates today, is also involved in conservation efforts of animals such as Sumatran tigers, koalas, Cambodian elephants, and so on. The zoo of Australia even manages a reserve of over 500 km2 in North Queensland, named after Irwin.
Whether or not you approve of his close and aggressive approach to video recording animals, it's clear that pop culture could appeal to more scientists and wildlife celebrities like Irwin. For too many people, the enormous diversity of life on Earth is a distant abstraction, something that belongs to another, more fantastic world.
People like Irwin, Jane Goodall and David Attenborough help us appreciate the natural world by bringing it home and boasting about its importance and vulnerability through their care, wonder, reflection and enthusiasm.
If you're nostalgic of Irwin's programming, here are some pictures from the very first episode of The crocodile hunter, which premiered in 1996.
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