I bet Jacko is thankful for the Crocodile Hunter... About This Page:

[Shell_of_the_South]

Because now it seems the media frenzy has switched from him to the story of the Crocodile Hunter (Steve Irwin) holding his one-month son while he fed a crocodile. Folks are in an uproar in Austrailia about it. Here's a story I read on Yahoo:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...ocodile_hunter

They are comparing it to Michael Jackson dangling his baby on the balcony!

[Irene]

<font color="blue"> I can't believe Steve Irwin actually did this. He's always telling you how unpredictable crocodiles are.

Comparing him to Michael Jackson ? ? </font>

[Colexis Mom]

I saw it on the news this morning. Absolutely horrifying, I don't know what in the world he was thinking!!

[LilMarcieMouse]

<font color="blue">Well, it doesn't surprise me and I bet he did it with his Daughter too. After all he knows the Crocs and would only do it if he knew it was safe. His wife was right there and he has a team to watch after himself and anyone else in the pen. After all the camera man was in there too. So there was all is works telling him were the Croc was at all times. I would rather have Steve take a child in with crocs then have Michael child sit. </font>

[Chrissi]

[ QUOTE ]
I would rather have Steve take a child in with crocs then have Michael child sit.

[/ QUOTE ]

I tend to agree, though I'd not put my child in that situtation, but I'm not a crocodile expert. I don't handle them everyday. And I'm not raising children in close proximity to crocodiles. I, on the other hand, was raised in a home with guns, where everyone hunted, and my step-dad rarely remembered to lock the gun cabinet. We grew up with a healthy respect for what a gun can do and managed not to kill myself or my brother. I don't see how this was any different. It's not like he was dangling the baby ala Jacko over the croc's enclosure fence. Then, I could see being up in arms. Who among us would hand-feed a crocodile? Very few. I think Steve Irwin knows the risks better than anyone else and too many people are too worried about how others are parenting and not enough about themselves and their own children. This, to me, got blown way out of proportion.

[Tiger Lily]

I think he probably knew what he was doing and was taking appropriate precautions. However, as a celebrity, he should always be aware that the camera is watching! I am sure he's learned his media lesson after this little fiasco.

[AKLRULZ]

Both of them are morons, but I guess I consider Jackson to be more of a threat to children than the crocodile. What a freak!

[Irene]

<font color="blue">He may have know what he was doing but it was just bad judgement on his part. </font>

[simbarel]

[ QUOTE ]
He may have known what he was doing but it was just bad judgement on his part.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup...I think both cases were bad judgement errors.

[mrsmaup]

WHAT WAS HE THINKING? I love his show and I love to watch the interaction w/his wife and children, but REALLY! I know he knows what he is doing, but does the crocodile respect the fact that its a beautiful baby, or does he see an after lunch snack?

I would hope that he uses better judgement in the future, but like Chrissi, I was raised in a police officers home that had guns. I had to reload bullets, clean guns, shot them(when I was older) at the police firing range. WHY? So that we would lose any interest in playing w/a gun. It worked like a charm. We grew up w/immense respect for what a gun can do and neither my brother or I was EVER tempted to mess around w/a gun. IM sure that he does something similar w/his children so that they have a healthy respect for crocs, snakes, spiders, etc.

We are a hunting home and while we dont have guns in the house(kept at the base armory) until we get a gun safe, both of my children have been raised the same way, in order to have a very healthy respect for a gun and what it can do if you screw around w/it. I guess if we lived their life, I would make sure they were around the reptiles and that they grew a healthy respect for them, but not at 1 month old.

[poohsgirl]

<font color="purple"> I don't care how well he knows crocs, it was very poor judgement on his part! Doesn't the guy from "Siegfried &amp; Roy" know tigers and look what happened to him! Why would he want to chance that with his child ! </font>

[LuvMK]

[ QUOTE ]
<font color="purple"> I don't care how well he knows crocs, it was very poor judgement on his part! Doesn't the guy from "Siegfried &amp; Roy" know tigers and look what happened to him! Why would he want to chance that with his child ! </font>

[/ QUOTE ]

This was my first thought too!! All animals can be unpredictable and I can't believe that he would have his newborn son that near to the croc!

[loobyoxlip]

What a discussion this thread has opened, Michelle

I tend to agree with Marcie on this one. When I saw the footage, I was not horrified. On the other hand, I do see why others would be. I wasn't there, so I don't know all the precautions that were taken and probably always are every time he's around the crocs. But crocs are and always will be unpredictable animals. May have been a bad judgment call, but I'm sure he doesn't think it was. That is what he does for a living.

[DebiDebiDebi]

Irwin will NOT be facing charges. Child Protective Services (or whatever they call it in Australia) has talked to Irwin and his family, and the matter is officially closed.



About this incident, Steve says:



"If I could have my time again I would probably do things a little differently," he said. "But I would be considered a bad parent if I did not teach my children crocodile savvy because they live here. They live in crocodile territory ... so they have to be croc savvy."



I tend to agree...Steve and his wife Teri live an exceptional life with extarodinary expieriences...it would be worse to not ready his children for what they may face in the future. To think these children will never be exposed to crocs or any other wildlife is unrealistic. I think he will do a fine job readying them for the adventure filled lives they have ahead of them.