Surreal

I’m watching The Crocodile Hunter marathon. The episode I initially caught, is one where he’s feeding his crocs in the park, and giving his show. He’s feeding Charlie, and explains to the visitors why there are other workers in the enclosure with him. how ironic his words are. When he explains that they keep watch of the pond so Steve doesn’t get a surprise strike, he said then everyone would say “we knew a croc would get him…and we can’t have that”. I have to say I’m glad it wasn’t a croc. And I’m betting Steve would be too. Crocs already have so many problems with people misunderstanding them, and poaching them. That would have just  given those types more excuses for murdering them. The way he died, was very odd. But it could have happened to ANY underwater documentary team.  It was a freak occurance. Period.

I’m always hearing how crazy he was to do what he did around the animals he dealt with. Whether it was his croc feedings at Australia Zoo, or the captures in the wild, or the way he’d show the audience the poinsonous snakes and lizards. But this wsn’t a lunatic. This wasn’t some wanna be hippie nut case that went into Katmai National Park to sing to grizzly bears he thought were his friends. This was a man with an unmatched passion, and love, for all things wild. The techniques he used, to those of us not in “the business” may seem crazy and reckless. But this was a man taught by his father from childhood, raised around the worlds deadliest predators the way some of us were raised with the family poodle. He knew exactly what he was doing. And he did it unlike any other.

I know myself, I will never look at Crocs, gators, snakes, like I did before Steve. There will never be another like him. And I doubt I’ll ever watch the shows without an ache in my heart for this amazing man, who’s passion and love for these creatures is unmatched. Sure there may come along others with shows that try to match it. But they’ll never match the spirit that he posessed. The shameless way he showed his love for his work.