Steve Irwin

Australian Australian zookeeper, conservationist, and television personality, he is arguably best known as a crocodile handler. The son of a reptile enthusiast and a nurse who cared for injured animals, he received his first snake on his 6th birthday and was hooked just as his dad was. His parents moved to Queensland in 1970 where his dad established a small reptile park three years later. Young Irwin reported wrestled his first crocodile under his dad's supervision when he was 9 years old. In 1991, when his parents retired, Irwin took over the family business, the Australia Zoo.. With business savvy and love for reptiles, the Australia Zoo expanded. In 1990 while filming a TV commercial in the zoo, John Stainton, producer, featured Irwin showing off his animals. A documentary, "The Crocodile Hunter" was born. Its terrific reception led to several more episodes featuring Irwin and his animals, another several episodes of "Croc Files," followed by over 40 episode of "Croc Diaries." His most recent TV series entitled "The New Breed Vets" was scheduled for release in 2005. Irwin's showmanship and his love for his work were evident in his TV programs and documentaries. Nicknaming himself the "wildlife warrior," Irwin said his business was really conservation: "Our motto is conservation through exciting education." In June 1992, he married Terri Raines (born July 20, 1964. Eugene, Oregon according to an Adelaide news article in September 2002), and the couple had two children a daughter, Bindi Sue Irwin (born July 24 1998), and a son, Robert Clarence "Bob" Irwin (born December 1, 2003). His mother died in a car crash on February 11, 2000. In January 2004 Irwin came under public fire when he held his infant son while feeding with a crocodile. Irwin's demise was sudden and, in a way, ironic. He died on September 4, 2006 shortly after 11:00 AM local time when he was stung in the chest by a stingray while Irwin was snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Port Douglas in Queensland. The weather had put an temporary halt to the filming of his documentary entitled "The Ocean's Deadliest." Irwin reportedly pulled the barb out of his chest, was pulled back into the boat but died a moment after. Link to Wikipedia biography