We interrupt our regular program for this special announcement:
Most people will already know this - you can't miss it if you go anywhere near the news. Steve Irwin, a.k.a. the Crocodile Hunter, crossed the great divide yesterday, pierced through the heart by a stingray off the Australian coast.
Now, of course, I didn't know him personally, I wasn't even a very avid follower of his show (recently, my excuse for that is not owning a TV). Still, Mr. Irwin left a big impression on me and I feel strangely compelled to write a few words of my own, adding them to the flood of sympathy that is breaking loose.
So, why did this man on the other side of the globe leave an impression on me? First of all, being German myself and never having met an Australian, it was his distinctive accent and the liberal use of what seemed to have been his favourite word: "crikey". The next thing that struck me was his unusual approach to making a wildlife documentary: Getting insanely close to the deadliest animals that the Australian wilderness could throw at him. Crocodiles, snakes and spiders were usual customers. A scene I remember was him crouching on the ground, a large constrictor snake curled around his arm. In his usual excited voice he gave the viewer an overview of the animal he was holding and why it was such a successful predator in its environment, all the while ignoring the snake's vain attempts to bite into his arm. Once in a while he would turn to the animal and tell it in a soothing voice to "calm down, old buddy", or similar. In the end he pushed it off his arm and set it on the ground because it's grip was getting painful after all. On another occasion, I remember him trying to get up close and personal with a black mamba, the world's most poisonous land borne snake. The snake would turn and hiss and he would jump back but he would keep trying. At the same time he went on telling the viewer about how deadly this creature in front of him was. My first reaction to this was "he's completely and utterly raving mad. He's putting himself at an unnecessary risk by pissing off this animal. All just for the medium. Serves him right if he gets bitten."
This impression didn't last, though. It didn't take me long to realise that there was much more to this man. The thing that really impressed me was how he radiated this amazing enthusiasm and love for what he was doing, for the animals he was dealing with and for the environment they all lived in. This enthusiasm was not only captivating but also contagious - it was what made the programs so interesting. It conveighed more than anything else that here you had a man who wasn't just doing a job but living his dream, somebody who was genuinely happy doing what he was doing. Furthermore, after watching him for some time it also became clear that wasn't just randomly toying with the animals - he could just pull it off in such a way because he really knew what he was doing. He was highly concentrated and careful and would sometimes call it off if he didn't think he could handle the situation. He just knew the animals' ways so intimately that he could make it look like a game. I would guess the only way to achieve that kind of relationship with the animal kingdom was through a deep love and respect for each of its creatures.
So, the way I see it is that we had here a man who loved the world around him so much that was willing to risk his life to bring the viewer that much closer to it and help us all understand it a bit better. To me he seemed like somebody who had found true happiness in his work and his life - very few people can say that. In the end, he died doing what he enjoyed. Like many good men (and women) he has been taken from us far too early.
My thoughts and sympathies are with his family. Nobody needs to tell them what a great man he was.
Mr. Irwin, I salute you.
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