Croc Hunter 'knew the risks'

2006-09-07 07:26

Beerwah - "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin knew the extreme risks involved in his work and often discussed with his father the possibility that he might die doing it.

"Both of us over the years have had some very close shaves and we both approached it the same way, we made jokes about it," Irwin's father, Bob, said on Wednesday in the first comments by Irwin's family since the hugely popular naturalist died on Monday.

"That's not to say we were careless. But we treated it as part of the job. Nothing to worry about really."

Tributes

The 44-year-old star was being filmed for a new TV programme as he snorkelled with a stingray on the Great Barrier Reef when it lashed out with its tail, plunging a poisonous barb into Irwin's chest. He died within minutes.

Just over 48 hours later, the 66-year-old Bob Irwin faced a large media contingent - and hundreds of members of the public - who travelled to Australia Zoo, the family-owned reptile and fauna park that has been turned into a shrine commemorating the life of the television star and conservationist.

Hundreds of floral arrangements line the original 1970s-era building that welcomed visitors when Bob Irwin first opened the reptile park. Candles burn, stuffed animals poke out from between flags of Australia, the United States and England. Dozens of Crocodile Hunter-like khaki shirts, signed by visitors in lieu of putting their name into a condolences book, are tacked up on the walls.

No state funeral

The low-key celebration of Irwin's life is just the way his son would have wanted it, Bob Irwin said, eschewing any offers by the government for a state funeral.

"He's an ordinary guy, and he wants to be remembered as an ordinary bloke," said Bob Irwin. "The state funeral would be refused."

Michael Hornby, the head of one of Irwin's wildlife charities, said Irwin's wife Terri was considering the state funeral offer, but Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio later said she had already decided against it.

Hornby said Terri Irwin was also thinking about having a smaller, private ceremony at an Outback location, and approving a separate large event at a stadium in the state capital, Brisbane, he told The Associated Press shortly before the news conference.

Bogus charity internet sites

Hornby said on Wednesday that two or three bogus internet sites had been set up attempting to divert some of the money being donated to Irwin's charities following his death.

"There are leeches around the planet, and we are fearful that more are going to come up," said Hornby.

"We want people to make sure they donate only to wildlifewarriors.org.au or through the US Discovery Channel, the Crikey fund."

- AP