Unleash the animal in you!!!

Steve Irwin...




It takes a 'Steve Irwin' to dart the bite of a venomous snake, to wrestle a 10 ft+ crocodile, to glide away like it's a superman!! (I'm not sure if the fable Superman could last out all the bruises, tail whacks, bleeding skin!!)
A cut cheek, grazed knee, smashed fingers, busted ribs - none could stop the warrior from performing more and more, crouched in scorching heat, sloshed in thick mud - all for one Purpose : WILDLIFE CONSERVATION!!






# Exuberant.. with veins popping out in an adrenalin rush, unafraid and full of love!
# Passionate.. like redefining the meaning of 'passion'.
# Enthusiastic.. like he'd snatched up enthusiasm from enthusiasm and packed it in him! God! Like he didn't know anything else than to be bursting with energy!! His passion with a beaming smile was instantaneously infectious..
# A born communicator.. with a broad Australian accent, instantly capturing attention from all over around him! known by his catch phrases "Crockie!!! Woooooo-hoooo!! What a ripper!!! Dropdead gorgeous!!!!" Indeed....
# Khaki-clad bloke.. recognized around the world for donning his khakis wherever he went! And he wore it with pride, alright!! Walking the red carpet wouldn't make him think twice to wear his khaki shirt & shorts!
# A Wildlife Warrior.. with an uncanny sense for finding wildlife!
# Conservationist.. Environmentalist.. He's a man of action and deadly passion..
# A family man.. with fathomless infallible love for his wife and children, his best pal Wes, he'd consider his Australia Zoo staff and his cuddly to dangerous to lovable animals his extended family.
# A perfect DAD.. his Kids are his ultimate images with their blood too saturated with love and respect for wildlife!!
# A Legend..
That's Steve for all!!

He jumped on crocs, took a Taipan by its tail, walked the deadly bird-eating spider on a bark, cuddled the Tasmanian devil.. From Wombats to cacatoos, from King Brown to boas, from Emus to Cassowary... He was a Legend with all of them!
It takes only Steve to kiss the Komodo Dragon right on its head! From being one with the Gorillas-cuddling up to them, chewing up the rotten lettuce a chimp offers him.... From climbing up to the tip of the sharpest & crazy-looking cliff to diving deep into the oceans, with white sharks all around him! From dirty waters to swamps to rain forests to suburbans!! From forbidden caves to multifarious museums! and to more impenetrable places..
A complete Naturalist!! Crockie....!!!! He's a legend!!

One mission.. one message.. one passion : Wildlife conservation!!

YOU MUST BE CRAZY OR BE STEVE TO 'DO IT'!!!!
Yes!! What's life without Craze, without Passion, without madness-to DO IT! To do what your heart beats for.. to do what your rushing blood urges to do!! If doing this is 'being crazy', then yes, Steve was crazy.
If educating people on animals in his self-established, brilliantly built zoo, if explaining to people the dwindling habitat, endangered animals and to be able to make kids to adults alike admire and love animals is being crazy---then yes! Steve was crazy!!
He announced it to the world, with all ingredients of love & concern, that the snakes that looked like monsters weren't ugly creatures that'd creep in to kill people.. they are indeed beautiful and blissful while himself holding the ocean's deadliest snake, a 7 footer which out-sized his arm width!
I wonder how he'd have wanted to put the man to shame who'd killed the endangered Black Buck!!!!!!!! and how he'd have condemned the government which bailed the man out!! "WWWHAT AN ABSULUTE SSHHYME"!! (What an absolute shame!) he'd have said!!

Steve.... please come down to punish these dirty souls!!

Steve would hate the sight of wildlife stuck on chain, being on roads performing to fill the dirty stomach of man!! He'd go unto them -the snakes, the young chimps, the porcupines, and touch them with his tender hands, feeling hopelessly bad for them. He wouldn't leave the place without appealing to the public not to pay them any money!!

He would risk his life and stare death right in the eyes.... everything to spread the message of CONSERVATION!!
The more we know about animals, especially the ones that look deadly and are deadly, the more we come to respect them, love them, appreciate them and protect them.

It was a legacy passed on to Steve from his parents who were wildlife champions too! The nine-year old boy, who'd actively involve in rehabilitating crocs and snakes, grew up to love wildlife and give his life to wildlife!!
His "Australia Zoo" started with 350 staff and it's ever increasing till date and a whopping 135000 hectares of pristine land making the Wildlife reserve. With boys and girls, men and women alike who stand and run in khakis to promote conservation-hands on! Who talk to animals-mammals, reptiles, birds... Who kiss the animals and cry and go down on their knees when the animals die! Who'd go any extent to save and give the animals the best treatment!! Just like the leader who leads them all!!! Stevo the man!!
And it's so much fun! Chocobloc of fun, alright!! Pranks and practical jokes very much welcome!! Be it Jai who'd have make-up with lips painted pink all unknown to him or Steve himself being fooled by fake kings who'd want to take away his camels!! A rollercoaster ride!! It's his HOME afterallll!!!
Pushing the boundaries of science... giving his life to animals! He loved all animals. From the tiniest lizard to the biggest elephant and everything in between!!
And the creation of the animal hospital at Australia Zoo!! The veterinarians and staff treat koalas, kangaroos and other animals that are injured by poachers, accidents, natural disasters, dog attacks and development activity. The hospital takes care of 5,000 animals every year. It is the largest facility of its kind in the world.

I completely love Steve Like crazy... He's one person who can keep me going for 22 hours at a stretch unrelentingly! My idol, my love!
With Steve near by any faint-heart would turn a warrior!! Even the cameramen didn't have to worry a bit.. 'coz when Steve sensed a grumpy animal he'd take the camera to film them even if it meant plunging the camera into the crocs' mouth that'd fit Steve's body in it or in the firing line/striking range of snakes..The cameramen-John Stokes, Grant Markert, Henry Pierce and others could always rely on him for the best shot.. All this just to make people realize the wonder world of animals!!

How could fate be so fatal!!!!! How could Steve leave the world that he'd loved so much!!!
Nothing i do or see can possibly make me believe Steve's no more.. He's the Hero..
I just couldn't believe the day that brought to me the news that said 'Steve killed by a sting ray'... NO WAY!!!!!!!!!! NEVER!! I still don't believe it!
What a man..!! even adulation and exaggeration would be less to say anything about Steve! I run out of words to say how i adore & love him! A man who'd work round the clock, be up till 3 in the morning, studying croc behaviour!
It was in his initiative that CROCOSEUM took its full form!
The place where thousands could watch him feed the crocs!
Like he said "And boy CrOckieee"..he was magnificent and the brilliant understanding of the mood of the croc!
And Whack!! The research vessel "Croc One" is personally designed and refined by him that's involved in the world's first research & marine wildlife rescue!
All over the world he travelled, many different species he snuggled up to, his all time favorite remained Crocodilians! No muss. No fuss!! What an amazing gift he was in successfully having the radio transmitters/satellite attached to the crocs which, he, with his team caught! He mastered it all.. right from where to set the traps, (the traps, too, which he designed), to restraining the mighty angry croc!! Least did the croc know it's all for its well-being!!
It involved Blindfolds, top jaw rope with an unbreakable snare to secure the jaw, statistical records, attaching the radio transmitter(to track the territorial range and daily movements which's for the conservation study), and then....!! the dangerous part-the release!! the most crucial and critical part of the undertaking, where every extra second multiplies danger! he'd do it with GRACE!! His head would crack & split like a watermelon on concrete if he took a hit from the croc! Goshhhh!! Hair raising!! It looked so simple when he did it... but when i saw his crew (the batch of youngsters- Stuart, Toby, Kelsey) in the session doing it!! God!! How they struggled to keep the stress level down! They could always Do It!! Steve was around!! to constantly boost them & keep their adrenalin working!!

AMAZINGLY GRACIOUS!! A WHOPPER!! This grace was the same with all the animals he was! And myte..!! his lil daughter Bindi was an absolute champ who had it in her genes!! Dropdead gorgeous! Who'd be surrounded with snakes, and crocs.. who'd christen the crocs... the names she gave them "Seaweed Princess, Magenta, Leopard" these were crocs.. and she named wombats too, alright!! A Wombat being called 'Burrow'...!
I remember how Steve kissed her ears while he held her saying "Burrow?!! It is!! Cool! Ur a beauty"!!
How Bindi used to be in the shows' filming sets.. On 'The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course' where Steve, with a bandage on his knee due to the cartilage tear, had to shoot his super crocs-Charlie & Monty... It's still ringing in my ears.. reverberating.... on Steve's saying Bindi, the toddler, kept the shrill little voice "Dyadi.. beee cearfullll daown Dyadi.. Beee cearfulll Dyadi"... (daddy be careful!)
Bindi has always been with Steve in his mission along with mom.

This is one of the ultimate shows of his i've seen!! His involvement in the delivery of their second child!!
Just as involved as he is in everything he does, he wouldn't leave anything to stand back and watch! He gloved his hands and kept Terri-his love calm with his warmth during the second child's birth! The final moment- their baby's cries filled the air....tears rolled down Steve's cheeks... His left hand on her left cheek & right hand on her head, face sunk in her shoulders and eyes shrinking in tears, he cried in her arms as she lay in the bed!!!!!! Terri couldn't have asked God for more than this husband! Absolute bliss!! "Robert Clarence Irwin" was born! and not surprising is that he looks like his dad! by word and by deed!!
Baby Bob-the blessed kid!! Baby Bob's too stepping in as Jr.Steve!! He had to be!!! Another favorite shot of mine: where Terri's teaching him how to present an Echidna.. Take 1: "this is an Echennidddaaa"!! Terri corrects him "this in an Echidna". Take 2: "this is an EcheniDDaa"!!!
Lil beauty he is!! He loves saying this with his left hand up like an L, "Crikeyyy what a ripper!! Holyglaucamoly"!!!!!!! I'm left with no words more to go on beyond this!The beautiful family!!

There's another moment worth writing here.... The heroic rescue of 77-year old Scott Jones, the scuba diver who perched on a narrow rock ledge jutting out from the side of a cliff, off the coast of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. There wasn't anyone who'd give it a thought of saving the two scuba divers' lives! Steve was the man who rescued Scott, using his vessel to patrol the waters around the island and his satellite communications to call in a rescue plane! What an absolute goodwill!

The goodwill has descended on all those who worked with him. A perfect family consisting of an intelligent brave wife Terri, gorgeous children Bindi&Bob, his legend father Bob, his mirror image best pal Wes, his entire crew and staff at Australia zoo, and the most important of all for which his heart used to beat- Animals!!! Wildlife!!!

Both Bindi and Bob are exact replica of their father! Proud Dad Steve!! They both are croc-savvy and know exactly how to conduct themselves safely in croc territory!
Steve has done his job of passing on his legacy, his love, his passion to the kids!

The family would stop at nothing to carry Steve's message across the globe!! By Jingo, they'd do it!! It's an irrepairable loss to the family and to the world!! No amount of condolence or prayers can get back Terri her Wonderful husband and kids their best father.
Terri is brave.. it takes a lot to put on a brave face with gushing pain inside.
None's yet born nor be born to be like Steve!! The world has lost the true legend who's kingdom's filled with animals, love, passion, goodwill!! where animals-reptiles, birds, mammals alike reign supreme! AND THEY WILL in his kingdom!
He will reign in the faith of children that adore him, in adults and anyone who possibly happened to know him!! He's a true inspiration to millions around the world! Children, especially, where the etching of love for wildlife is done in their spotfree brains! They'd grow upto to be Steves!!
Father Bob spoke about Steve, saying Steve was in pain for the past 3-4 years a 100% of the time and that he's feeling good about the fact that Steve's no longer in pain!!!
My heart is wrenched to write this! My hands become numb and with pain running down my spine, i write this....... Steve's in peace now!

It's upto us to carry the legacy and his message on. No matter how tiny the contribution is, let's DO IT!!
Steve gave his entire life to spread conservation message! Let's do our bit to the Animal kingdom! Let's give sometime to think and act to protect wildlife!!! Just to feel and forget is no good!! Put into action the thoughts/feelings for wildlife!

Here's his message to his fans in his words:

"WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE TO DO, IT IS ACHIEVABLE. THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO BE PASSIONATE, ENTHUSIASTIC IN THE DIRECTION YOU CHOOSE IN LIFE.
AND YOU'LL BE A WINNER"
I LOVE YOU STEVE...