Death of the crocodile hunter

mike dolan remembers TV naturalist Steve Irwin, killed by a stingray today

Crikey, welcome to Crocodile country," was the sort of phrase that made Steve Irwin famous. That and the fact that he could wrestle a 12ft crocodile with great bravado in front of a camera.

Today, however, the khaki-clad Australian died after a stingray's barb pierced his chest while filming in Queensland. The creature is not usually considered a killer; Irwin, 44, is only the third Australian known to have died this way.

For decades, he had taken calculated risks with all sorts of wildlife, relying on his knowledge of animal behaviour and personal experience to beat the odds. But the man who became known as 'The Crocodile Hunter' – after his US TV