R.I.P., Croc Hunter

It's 3:00 am EST here in the States, 5:00 pm in Queensland, Australia and Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, has died. I'm devastated by this news. My sister and I made a special trip to the Brisbane area in 2003 just to visit Irwin's Australia Zoo. We were lucky enough to see Irwin at his zoo that day, he was filming a live special for Animal Planet. It made the whole trip worth it to see our favorite Aussie animal nut do his thing.

Steve Irwin might not have been very popular in Australia but he was over here. He wasn't just a nutty croc jumper who shocked us and made us laugh, he was an animal lover and conservator down to his very bones. He may have made mistakes in his life but he had a kind heart and he dedicated his life to his passion. I admired him and I am very saddened by his death. I hope his work continues and that his legacy will motivate people to respect and conserve wildlife.