In the spring of 1997, I moved into an apartment in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, while I was still in college. After connecting the cable TV, I ran across this channel called Animal Planet. Being an avid animal lover, I was instantly hooked. The channel was small, with a handful of shows and lots of info-mercials. The most prominent show featured this crazy little Australian guy in a khaki shirt and shorts (little did I know that this was ALL he ever wore) who talked about how “BEYOO-tiful” crocodiles, snakes, insects, and various other creepy-crawlies are. HUH? What? Is this guy nuts?
However, before long, I was hooked. I remember describing this crazy little Australian guy to my parents: “He's nuts! He was in this enclosure at his zoo with this huge female, and he was about 10 feet from her and showing us her egg nest, and she's growling like a dog--I didn't know crocodiles could growl!--and he says 'if I don't get outta here now, she'll just kill me.' But he knows what he's doing! It's incredible! You've GOT to see this guy!” I even taped episodes of the show on the VCR to show to my parents and friends, with my trademark: "You've GOT to see this guy!"
What was so amazing about this crazy little Australian guy, Steve Irwin, was that he really wasn't crazy. Well, that is, he wasn't crazy like time-for-a-lobotomy crazy--he was crazy in love with animals. His passion and excitement for every animal, from the largest crocodile to the smallest lizard, from a giant sloth to a sleek cheetah, was nothing but intoxicating and addictive. He loved each one equally: crocodiles, spiders, scorpions, cobras, even the ferocious Tasmanian devils, they were all “little beauties” to him. Everything I know about venomous snakes, crocodiles, alligators, lizards, and various other not-so-cuddly-and-furry members of the animal kingdom I learned from Steve. While I was usually just indifferent to these animals, his enthusiasm sparked my curiosity, and therefore he showed me how they are just as interesting and enchanting as any puppy, kitten, horse, or whale that I could learn about. Plus, he was always careful, always safe, and always letting his viewers know that it was important for us to recognize that we need to be respectful of the animals and allow them to live peacefully in their environment.
It was such an honor to be allowed into Steve's world. I learned about Terri, his wonderful wife who shares his passion and tenacity. (I almost had a heart attack when I saw her about ready to pop from her pregnancy, traipsing about with Steve in the Arizona desert looking for rattlesnakes!) I learned about the crew at the Australia Zoo who were allowed to work with the animals on their terms under Steve's watchful eye and open mind. I was so excited to hear that Terri was pregnant, and I was tickled pink when she had a baby girl and the girl was named after Steve's favorite crocodile and his faithful dog, Sui. I cried with Steve as he lay next to Sui in her last hours of life, and I cheered when a crocodile was successfully moved from one pen to another on live television.
To learn about Steve and his family, friends, adventures, and conservation work was to learn about how it is possible to come from humble beginnings to living your ultimate dream. Hard work, perseverance, and true love are what can bring understanding and respect to the animal world. But most important of all, Steve wasn't afraid to be himself and not put up any fronts for the public. He loved his family, friends, and even his fans as much as he loved his crocodiles, camels, elephants, and his work towards conservation. He always let people know the truth and how he felt, and that to me was the most amazing part of what Steve contributed to the world.
I have never considered myself a person who has a hero. I never saw in people what I always wanted to see in myself or what I always dreamed I could do. However, upon hearing of Steve’s passing, I realized that HE was my hero. He has in him the charisma and charm to help people understand animals and how important they are to the world. He also had the willpower, hard-working nature, and moral strength to make his dreams a reality, and not to do it for himself, but to do it for the world. I work hard in the fight against “soring,” an illegal practice prominent in the horse breed of Tennessee Walking Horses involving putting burning, blistering chemicals on a horse’s front pasterns to cause pain and force his legs to lift higher in the show ring. I realized that my personal dream of ending soring CAN be reached if I follow in the same vein as Steve Irwin, using tenacity and love to bring about a real change in the animal kingdom. This is the true gift Steve left for us: to follow our own dreams and help the people of the world to come together and better understand themselves and the world around them.
I am thrilled to know that Terri, Bindi, Bob, and all of their family members and friends will continue Steve’s hard work with just as much energy and happiness as Steve did. It makes my heart happy to know I’ll get to see Bindi continue her daddy’s work, and I still hope to visit Australia someday and make a special trip to the Australian Zoo to see Steve’s passions come to life.
My love to all of you who allowed yourselves to let us learn about you through Steve. Please know that I am very happy to have known Steve, even if it was for such a short time, and his passion will be remembered forever. And, as always, CROCKS RULE!
Sincerely,
Andrea Ohnstad Apache Junction, AZ www.silverphoenixranch.com
