Steve Irwin

Steve Irwin

Steve Irwin was the greatest man alive. From the moment I saw him on TV, I knew I wanted to be like him. Steve has stood out as a true conservationist to animals, the environment, and overall earthly well being. He and his wife, Terri Irwin, successfully started a number of breeding programs for many endangered animals at the Australia Zoo, though his life was tragically cut short on the 4th of September 2006.

Steve set out at an early age to make a difference and change people's overall awareness and conservation of animals and their habitats. His mother was a wildlife rehabilitator and his father was a wildlife expert who had a keen interest in herpetology. At the age of six Steve was given his first snake as a birthday gift. A twelve foot scrub python. Maintaining his new pet and all the other animals in the zoo Steve soon developed a responsibility and love for all living things. Later the family zoo would be passed on to Steve and renamed the Australia Zoo.

Steve traveled to Oregon in 1991 to perform animal demonstrations, and it is there that he met his soon-to-be-wife Terri Raines. The two were married in June of 1992. The footage of their croc-wrangling honeymoon aired as the first of many Crocodile Hunter episodes.

Steve Irwin made it his life's mission to educate people in wildlife and expressed his excitement of the natural world, rather than preaching his message. Today, I cannot speak of Steve Irwin without a chill going up my spine. He is still the biggest impact in my life, and I aspire to follow in his footsteps. Why, just last night I rescued a blotched water snake near the lake. He was on the road, and I thought him dead. But, upon observing the situation I saw his tail had been smashed by a reckless driver. His cloaca was still intact, as was the rest of his body, so I released him near the lake, far from the road.

If other people could take the initiative and help a wounded animal, go that extra mile to make not just one, but many animals' lives, easier or just donate to a shelter, we can all achieve what Steve wanted in this world: conservation of wildlife and care for nature.