Question

Was Steve Irwin a good role model?

Answer

Well, it's really yes and no. People looked to him to have animal knowledge, however, he wasn't specialized. Yet as a person living his dream, then yes, he was a good role mode.

Q

Did his show/influence have a positive effect on the animal kingdom?

A

Yes and no, again. He really made kids more interested about animals, as well as boosted the popularity of reptiles greatly. The only negative I could say is that the popularity of some animals brought on by his show led to the keeping and commercial trade in protected reptiles and amphibian species in much larger numbers.

Q

Do you think that they ever took into consideration the safety precautions necessary to be handling the types of animals seen on the show?

A

When I watched the handling of animals on the show, I noticed that they were always very careful; however, I noticed a few things that he did that weren't so conscientious. Such as, he handled snakes without a stick or gators (protective boots). But I know that when I'm working at my program in India, I wear sandals when working with snakes. But as with everything, you begin to not worry as much, you get cocky, you know?

Q

Should other wildlife personalities continue their "Irwin-like" work to keep the world informed about the animal kingdom?

A

Absolutely. This question is like asking "should you stop commuting when someone gets into a car wreck?

Q

Do you think Steve Irwin's death was in vain?

A

Do I wish he was still alive? Yes, I loved watching his shows. I consider it a loss in vain because it was a pointless thing to do, nothing good had come from it. Yet, it sparked a good debate. Anything in nature can be dangerous. And simply because of that fact, that it really brought the debate into the open and got people thinking, no, it was not in vain.