COMMENTARY

Celebrating the Life of the Crocodile Hunter

By Louise Heinrich
Special to ASSIST News Service

CBN.com – BEERWAH, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- As the world has already heard, the infamously renowned Steve Irwin of the Crocodile Hunter fame from Australia Zoo died on Monday the 4th of September by a rare attack made by a stingray barb in its tail that speared Steve in the heart as he was filming a wildlife documentary in far north Queensland.

Australians and people from around the globe are devastated as are many of the students at the Glasshouse Country Christian College situated five minutes drive from Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo in Beerwah where I teach Drama and media and also work as a freelance radio and print journalist.

It was a real shock as news trickled in about the death of the vivacious and charismatic Crocodile Hunter. Interesting enough at about the time that Steve died our chaplain, Dallas Pickop who is also developmental manager at Christian Voice International radio station was at our school Glasshouse Country Christian College just five minutes drive up the road for Steve Irwin Australia Zoo. Dallas and the middle school staff were going about their work as part time chaplain, teachers and pastoral carers of the next generation of young Australia Christians.

Chappy Dee, as he is affectionately known, had just called an unscheduled chapel service on the Monday morning around the same time as Steve Irwin's death even before anyone knew he had died. Dallas had called the chapel service to challenge the young people of our school to wrestle with the fact that none of us are immortal and that one day, any day, we may die and what would we say if we were to die today and when we faced God. The chapel service was rather timely and some would say a God appointed prophetic moment in time especially as Dallas talked to our middle school students about how young people often take greater risks in their youth thinking that they are invincible and then they usually reach an age in their late 20's and realize that they are not living life just for themselves but they are here on earth for a purpose.

TV footage of Steve Irwin aired on Australian television on Monday evening, September 4, just hours after Steve died showed him saying that he believed he had been put on this earth to raise peoples awareness of the need for wildlife conservation and to protect animals and bushland for future generations. Well, by crickey, he certainly did that.

His American wife Terry is known around the area for making surprise visits to local churches bringing her children with her and at times they were able to go to Sunday school with a minder to keep them protected from being overwhelmed with questions and being crowed out by inquisitive kids and the like. It is hoped that Terry's Christian faith will help her cope with the grief and loss and to help guide her children to a deeper understanding of God's grace and mercy in this time of family sadness in the passing of their much loved husband and Dad.

The general consensus around Beerwah where Australia Zoo is situated is that Steve died doing what he loved best being around animals in their natural environment. Although many are feeling the sadness of the fact that he was not around to spend time with his children on Sunday the 3rd which was Fathers day in Australia as he was in Queensland's far north in Port Douglas filming a documentary over the past month whilst his wife Terry, 8 year old, Bindy and 2 year old, Bob were on a hiking trip at Cradle Mountain off the coast of mainland Australia in Tasmania. Many Australians realize that Fathers Day every year for the family will be a time of sadness as the Irwin family are faced with a time of grieving for the fact that their much loved father is not with them to see his children grow up.

When you drive past the zoo there are hundreds of local community and tourists placing floral wreaths, stuffed animals, cards, and messages of condolence in memory of Steve Irwin as a tribute to the Croc Hunter and all that he has done for Australian wildlife and raising Australians profile around the world.

There are also many media teams that have flocked to set up media camps outside of the zoo to report on the devastating news of Steve Irwin's untimely death with the backdrop of Steve in the background advertising.

The world's attention was drawn to Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, both in life and death and whilst it is not known whether Steve had a personal relationship with Jesus before his death know doubt our prayers are that his wife and children will come to come to know Jesus in a more real and meaningful way as Steve's wife Terry and children Bindy and Bob face life without their amazing husband and dad and Australia's much loved Crocodile Hunter.

May his life and the enthusiasm by which he lived it be a legacy for all of Australia and the rest of the world who will continue to benefit from his worldwide wildlife conservation work. May our prayers be with them and the 500 staff that work at the Australia Zoo as we mourn the passing of a truly inspiring man who made it his life work to care for many of God's creatures.

Find peace with God

Louise Heinrich is a teacher of drama and media and works as a freelance radio and print journalist. Her husband and her two sons Elliot and Tim live at Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia.

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