Has anyone seen the news footage of Steve "Crocodile Hunter" Irwin feeding a large crocodile with one hand while cradling his infant son (1 month) in the other arm? The footage has been on the news here in the UK, I must say it looks irresponsible to say the least! What's the reaction been in Australia?

Outrage to say the least !  :o

He is currently being investigated by the Queensland Families Dept.

Frankly, to me, this is stupider than the Whacko Jacko balcony thing.

The guy needs to take a reality check.  Using your kids as promotional toys, especially at the age of one month, in range of a man-eating animal, seems at best, ill-advised, at worst, highly negligent.

He had a press conference today defending his actions, and he threw in many obligatory "by crikeys".... :(

It has been all over the news here.  I just want to know what he and Terri were thinking.  Stupid stunt. >:(

The crocodile could've eaten the baby.That was a horrid test for Steve Irwin. >:( :o


Howard

It was really a stupid thing for him to do that, to say the least.

You don't take chances like that with man-eating animals (just ask Roy Horn ;)), especially with a 1-month old child.

I'm sure in hindsight, even he probably realises it was a stupid thing to do, even if nobody got hurt.

:o

What a stupid publicity stunt.  A very stupid thing to do! :o  I didn't even like the way in which he was holding the baby (for being a one month old).

Retarded.

I hope at least Terri Irwin's ticked off about it.

They won't be pressing charges again the Crocodile Hunter. He said on his news conference that he was justified because his son needed to be "crocodile savvy" because he lives in Australia. (More like humanly stupid) There's a time and a place for that, Steve. And your boy is too young to hang with your reptiles, whom it looks like you love better.

P.S.: The worst part of that video was Irwin holding his son's arms up and dragging him around barely scraping the infant's feet, toward the croc's pond.

What an idiot.

The latest today is that Steve, Terri and the kids are considering removing themselves from public life (we can only hope).

After he pulled this stunt the hotline to the Family Services Department was inundated with calls reporting his behaviour!  Let's hope Family Services had a word to the Irwin family.

From what I read Family Services isnt going to do anything.Its the typical "slap on the wrist" for first offense.I also read that Terry was happy that the baby had its first croc experience and that he was excited about it ???I FEEL BAD FOR THIS CHILD!YOU KNOW HIS PARENTS ARE GOING TO PRESSURE HIM TO FOLLOW IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS!Can you imagine this kids life?While all the other kids are bathing with their rubber duckies he bathing with real crocs ???

I thought with Terri being an American expatriate that she should know better. Now I'm beginning to think it's because she was American, or that Master Croc has brainwashed her from common sense.

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From what I read Family Services isnt going to do anything.Its the typical "slap on the wrist" for first offense.I also read that Terry was happy that the baby had its first croc experience and that he was excited about it ???I FEEL BAD FOR THIS CHILD!YOU KNOW HIS PARENTS ARE GOING TO PRESSURE HIM TO FOLLOW IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS!Can you imagine this kids life?While all the other kids are bathing with their rubber duckies he bathing with real crocs ???
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Just imagine if one of the crocodiles had eaten his babies? What next?  ???



Howard

I liked watching his shows. I thought he was a nutter though and this little stunt proved it for me.

Indy Gent, I saw Irwin walking his baby along by his hands - completely stupid behaviour.  :(

Steve's done some pretty stupid things but this one takes the cake!  :o  It really bothered me when they showed him moving his tiny baby over to the water's edge, with the crocodile only a few feet away!!!  >:(

I would think that Steve Irwin would know better, he's been handling animals all these years.

What the heck are they putting in that Fosters beer down there?  ;)

There are probably many more cases such as Steve and MJ, but I think when folks are in the constant spotlight, have money, and everything else, they sometimes have a temporary lapse of their good sense.  They do something insane, the pressure is too great, they already have everything, too much paparatsi, there's no more thrill in life.  they may already be somewhat weak minded, and then they just go over the edge.

LOL, Dagny! ;) If you read the sentence before that, you would have known that it was strickly a tongue-in-cheek
statement.
And to answer Fuss Budget's question, No, my last post wasn't a dig at Aussies or other countries. I was just trying to explain that any mother would have common sense not to let anyone else, not even her husband, put her children in harm's way. And since Steve is her husband, he might have brainwashed her into believing crocs are as friendly as the neighborhood dog. But again, nothing derogatory. :-X

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I don't get what he is saying either.  

Just because she is an American doesn't mean she has common sense...I could be getting what he said wrong.
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I apologize if anyone took that the wrong way. Sometimes I don't have time to proof read my posts. :-[

Thanks Indy, for clarifying that

FB   :)

Your welcome. Feel free to comment anytime. ;)

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Thanks Indy, for clarifying that

FB   :)

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Thanks for the clarification.  As for mothers having common sense, not all of them.  Sad really...

Ok - I have been off line so I am late in commenting here but regardless - I am going to put my two cents worth in because I am flaming angry.

For gods sake - anyone would think some guy in a business suit who had never been out of the city, grabbed some unknown new born and strolled into a croc infested river.  What you saw was a croc expert who has worked with the animals his entire life standing several feet away while putting his own body between his baby and croc.

The footage that was shown around the world was taken by a money grabbing tourist who felt they had the perfect footage to make a buck.  An indeed they did.  The angle they were sitting at in the stadium meant that any film they shot from the side had a totally different depth perception than if they had been shooting from front on. Everything looked so much closer than it physically was.

Since it was released 20 other audience members have released the footage they too took that day, and Steve has released the zoo's video.  Steve and the other audience members filmed the event from the front on angle and you get a very different story if you take the time to watch it - instead of basing your opinions on the video the media wants you to be disgusted by.

You can clearly see the pen is filled with other croc handlers - all ready to jump the croc if necessary.  
You can clearly see that Steve and Bob are a lot further away from the croc than it looks in the side on footage - in some cases as far as 7 feet away.
You can clearly see Terri is nearby cheering her heart out and was not "brainwashed".
You can clearly see that Bob is nowhere near the waters edge (and there wasnt actually a croc in the water).

Ok - so thats the video evidence covered.  Now I will move on to how the media likes you to percieve things.

When Bindi was born - she too was introduced to crocs and other reptiles at a month old.  Instead of "media outrage", the various weekly womans magazines paid Steve a small fortune to photograph the event for their 5 page spreads and clucked and coo'ed about how sweet it was that little Bindi would be just like her daddy.  No outrage whatsoever so why should Bob be any different.

My third point.

You live on a busy highway - whats the first thing you teach your kids from as early an age as possible - road safety.
You live in the bush (as I did as a kid) - whats the first thing you teach your kids - bush safety, first aid, what do do when you encounter a snake or a murderous racehorse goanna.
You live in a circus - you are put on a trapeze or highwire while you are still in diapers and you learn not to tease the lions.
You live in a zoo - you teach your kids about the animals and how to deal with them and how to react to them.  

Steve grew up in the zoo and his kids will grow up there - it is basic sensible parenting to ensure your child will be fully aware of their environment from as early an age as possible.

My friend in Adelaide teaches a little boy who lives with his parents at the Adelaide Zoo.  He has been in tigers cages and hanging around with orangatans since before he could walk.  Yes he doesnt exactly live where most other kids live and therefor he has a somewhat more unusual upbringing - but that doesnt mean it is the wrong upbringing.  And the kids in the bush, or the circus, or on the busy highway are no different.

Steve isnt Australias first and only wildlife man to live his life on TV.  In the 70's we had Malcolm Douglas, Harry Butler and even the Leyland Brothers.  All included their kids in every part of their life from an early age both on and off TV. My dad use to go on safari's with Malcolm and Harry back then and I played with their kids - I know that I swum with pythons in their backyard pool before I was even in school.

So before you fall into the thought process that the media is doing its best to force you into - look at it all from other angles (a pun - both the camera angles, and just lifes angles in general).

Dont always believe what you see and read in the media - surely Americans - who come from the country that invented Hard Copy and the National Enquirer - shouldnt even need to be told that all isnt always what it seems.

Steve and Terri are loving parents who are bringing their kids up in a loving and sensible manner that suits their environment and lifestyle.  They love their kids dearly and would not endanger them.  They are certainly not stupid - but perhaps a bit naive for thinking everyone will understand their lifestyle.

And judging by the feedback in every citys newspaper - Australia is not "outraged" - just a few in the media who saw a good story and a couple of standard "outraged" folk who write to the paper every week because they are constantly "outraged" at the days events - regardless of what they are.  The majority of Letter to the Editor writers Australia wide were on Steves side.

And in the words of Forrest - thats all I have to say about that !

Refering to BMG's post:

First of all, Steve seems likes a lovely man but in the this instance he acted like a total d!ck.  The baby is only 1 month old.  It's not like Bob can just wander out of his basinette and get in with the crocs.  There's still about 5 months (assuming Bob starts to crawl 6 months) 'til he can make his own way to the crocodile enclosure.  There'll be plenty of time then to get him acquainted with them.  This was purely a publicity stunt which backfired badly.  It doesn't matter at what angle the video is viewed at - he was still holding the baby in a very inappropriate manner.  I would not hold a dog that way!  And then for Terri to make that stupid statement "Bob really dug the experience" all I can say is why don't we ask Bob for ourselves.  ::)

BMG

You know from previous experience that you and I would never see eye to eye on some aspects of Steve Irwin.  :)

And whilst bearing in mind all the good things he DOES do for animal welfare as you have previously pointed out, I cannot but help feeling that this was a calculated media move on his part.

And that is the part that distresses me the most.  Whether or not he deliberately did it hoping it would be raised as an issue, his subsequent handling of it suggests to me that it is going exactly as he wants.  Having said that of course there is NO proof, it is just my feeling.

I can assure you that I have not met many people here who thinks he did the "right" thing.  My "Outrage" comment in the second post was a reflection of the feeling in Queensland at the time, regardless of whether the papers you have read say the same thing.

And your point about do you teach a child road sense if you live on a busy highway...yes !  By all means.  But not at the age of four weeks, they have to be old enough to 'comprende'.

I imagine the baby growing up hating his Father and realizing the truth of what happened when he was almost dangled by his daddy's arms in front of a crocodile that day. >:(


Howard

Referring to BMG also.

That child is only 4 weeks old ! I was outraged, yes.  I believe he and Terri were extremely irresponsible and let their hunger for self promotion cloud their judgement.

The question is - why did/do they have croc spotters in and around the encloser ? I'd say because crocodiles are unpredictable creatures. IMO even 'experts' should never, ever become complacent. I think he did, and they both have a lot of work to do in redeeming themselves.

No matter how you much you try to justify it, it was just wrong.

Was the croc really that close?  I saw some video footage of it and immediately saw that the angle of the camera gave the illusion that it was at Steve Irwin's feet, when it wasn't anywhere near him.

Besides, in about 15 years they'll wish they fed their kid to the crocodile!!  ;D ;D

Nah Secret - there are currently at least 20 other clips released to the media from the front on angle and it clearly shows between a metre and 5 metres distance at any given moment.  Even at the actual feeing moment - with the croc fully extended and physically unable to stretch any further - there was still a metre of gap.

It was all just your standard "dang my video footage looks awesome - this will make me some money" rubbish.

Ahh, ok.  I don't get to watch too much television here.  I guess it was a momentary lack of judgement.  Interesting how no one in the crowd seems to be concerned. <shrug>

No one in the crowd was concerned because they could all clearly see the distance and that Steve and everyone else had everything under control.

BMG, I think everyone else is trying to say that no matter how in control Steve Irwin or his crew might have been, there is always a chance that something can go horribly wrong. Nobody but the Irwins has the right to raise his son. I just hope his decision doesn't affect his son emotionally. But I do understand your POV knowing they do live under some different circumstances from where we live.  

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No one in the crowd was concerned because they could all clearly see the distance and that Steve and everyone else had everything under control.


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I think its safe to say that everyone does stupid things from time to time without thinking.  And while Steve Irwin isn't a stupid person, what he did was entirely stupid and lacked good judgement.


I think he suffered from a case of "momentary stupidity, and we've all done that before.

Someone should've dangled him. >:(

Howard

To that crocodile, Steve's little baby looked like a marshmallo, and Steve like a pork chop.