Steven Irwin Killed by Stingray

The Australian crocodile dude certainly found an original way to die.

Zookeeper, film star and environmentalist extraordinaire Steve Irwin died as he had lived: getting as close to, and personal with, Australia’s most dangerous creatures. It was as if the zany 44-year-old showman had devised a way of death that both summed up his devil-may-care attitude and had an eye to how it would look on his tombstone: Speared through the heart by a stingray while diving on the Great Barrier Reef.

Unfortunately for Mr. Irwin, he probably will not be remembered so much for his environmentalism and filmaking, as he will be for this:

In 2003 he was left defending the indefensible after cameras caught him feeding chicken to a hungry 4-metre saltwater crocodile with one hand while holding month-old son Bob in the other.

I’m sorry for his family. But this is a lesson for all you young kids: “Don’t play with dangerous animals.”

Author: BooMan

Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.