I’ve long been a fan of Steve Irwin, the so-called “Crocodile Hunter”. I’ve watched his shows on Discovery Channel and Animal Planet for years and I’ve used parts of shows in my classroom when I was a teacher. He was a gifted speaker and his enthusium for all animals was contagious. My heart aches for his wife Terri and his two children. He was taken far too young.

His producer and closest friend, John Stainton said in a statement today, “The world has lost a great wildlife icon, a passionate conservationist and one of the proudest dads on the planet. He died doing what he loves best and left this world in a happy and peaceful state of mind. Steve would have said, ‘Crocs Rule!’”

For more information or to learn more about Steve and Terri and their zoo, click here.

–Pete