The Crocodile Hunter, aka Steve Irwin, is perhaps the craziest personality to hit Animal Planet to date.
With his signature exclamations of “Crikey!” and commentary peppered with all kinds of Australian slang, the Croc Hunter dives headfirst into the wild in order to capture, relocate and rehabilitate crocodiles, rhinos, snakes, and other nefarious beasts-with one criteria-the more dangerous, the better.
He really had no choice in the matter. The son of Bob and Lyn Irwin, creators of the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, Steve by age nine had learned to jump and catch crocodiles in rivers local to his home. He soon teamed up with his father to do this important and death-defying work in order to protect the animals and the local people.
Now the director of the Australia Zoo in Queensland, Australia, and star of his own hit series, Irwin can boast that he and his father have captured and relocated all of the crocodiles in the zoo that were not bred there (in captivity). It’s hard to even imagine the dangerous situations in which Irwin finds himself, from wrestling the crocs with the flair of the WWF to raiding a female snake’s nest and taking her eggs for incubation. The show always keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. He shows no fear,-only practiced skill (hammed up to the nines) in his quest to move those troublesome animals to a place where they will be welcomed. Crikey!
It’s not all fun and games, though. Irwin is a staunch conservationist and works with his wife, Terri, to educate the public on the importance of environmental and wildlife concerns. It is his goal to raise awareness about the issues that face the world and the role people can play in preserving ecosystems and respecting nature around them.
– Jennifer Cattaui
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