OKAYYY the Croc Hunter went to freaking far this time!!!!

by Xandria 52 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Xandria

  Anger over stunt with croc and baby

  39 minutes ago

  MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Celebrity crocodile hunter Steve Irwin has triggered outrage after he held his one-month-old baby while feeding a snapping crocodile during a show at his Australian zoo.

  In a show for the public and the media on Friday, Irwin held his son in one arm while feeding a dead chicken to a large, lunging crocodile then put the baby on the ground and helped him mock walk near the reptile's pond.

  Seven television network was inundated with calls after the incident was aired. Protests were lodged on a government families crisis line and with police.

  Irwin also received a warning from child-care authorities.

  "He's one month old, so it's about time Bob got out there and did his first croc demo," the typically exuberant, khaki-clad Irwin told the crowd at his zoo in Australia's Queensland state.

  The Seven network said it had been flooded with calls about the incident, which revived memories of pop star Michael Jackson dangling his baby from the balcony of a Berlin hotel in November 2002.

  "The phones ran hot, pretty much universally in outrage at what he had done," Seven news producer Dave Salmon told Reuters.

  Queensland Acting Premier Terry Mackenroth said a government office for child welfare had spoken to the Irwin family to ensure there would be no repeat performance.

  "I think that any parent looking at that would think that it is not the smartest thing to do with a one-month, or a year-old or even a five-year-old child, to take them inside a crocodile pen," Mackenroth told reporters.

  "They claim that the child was not in danger but they understand people's concerns and they have assured children's services that it won't happen again."

  Irwin's television show, "The Crocodile Hunter", has achieved international success. He starred in the 2002 movie "The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course".

  Irwin told the Herald Sun newspaper that he would never endanger his child and he had been in complete control of the crocodile.

  "I guess what I am doing is teaching him to be completely familiar with crocodiles," he said. "It is far more dangerous to pack your kid up and go out on the road."

  Irwin was not immediately available for further comment on Saturday.
• 

  freelife

  Crock hunter = dumbass
• 

  Stephanus

  I saw the incident on the news. It was apparent that the baby was not in any danger at any time; this is stuff Steve Irwin's done hundreds of times in various forms as part of his show. The Croc was interested in the proferred chicken in Irwin's right hand, not the baby in his left. And when Irwin did the "baby walking" trick, the croc had already turned around and was walking away towards the water.

  Okay, it was a cheap publicity stunt (why else were the cameras there?) and a little dumb, but hardly irresponsibly dangerous. Irwin himself grew up as a kid in a house full of snakes and other reptiles because his parents ran the reptile park; the "heir apparent" had better get used to the idea!
• 

  Elsewhere

  I don't care what hand the baby was in... mug brought his baby into a crocodile pin.
• 

  SheilaM

  It no different than what most Dad's do, Steve knows his job his wife would never have allowed it if she had any doubts. I don't look at it as cheap publicity you could see on the video he was just proud and that is his life. Also his wife was standing at the sideline and SMILING she knows that the baby is in no danger.

  Our neighbor is a roofer he had his young kids running up and down ladders as young as 2, freaked me out but he wanted them with him. Is this abuse I think not. Maybe not the smartest thing but you know NONE of his kids have ever even slipped.

  I resent that they are investigating something like this when there are children being starved and dying in meth houses. In KC we just had a 9 month old die they believe from inhaling the chemicals in a Meth house this was in a nice neighborhood.
• 

  Stephanus

  It no different than what most Dad's do, Steve knows his job his wife would never have allowed it if she had any doubts. I don't look at it as cheap publicity you could see on the video he was just proud and that is his life. Also his wife was standing at the sideline and SMILING she knows that the baby is in no danger.

  Our neighbor is a roofer he had his young kids running up and down ladders as young as 2, freaked me out but he wanted them with him. Is this abuse I think not. Maybe not the smartest thing but you know NONE of his kids have ever even slipped.

  When my wife saw it she said something along the lines of: "Don't these people who dob everybody in realise the kinds of things they do with their own kids that probably look crazy and irresponsible to those outside the family?"

  And you're right, Sheila, no-one who knew what they were doing was worried in the slightest. Now crocs aren't my favourite things that "creepeth upon the earth", but even I could tell from the croc's "body language" that baby was definitely NOT on the menu, as far as he (or she) was concerned. And for those who work with them daily, this was not a risky venture. You're right, the mother would never have let the baby be endangered in any way, and she was as smilingly confident as hubby.
• 

  got my forty homey?

  Imagine if his son doesn't want to continue the family business, it'll be sort of like a JW raising thier children in the truth and the kid doesn't want to be attending borefest's. It's almost as if taking his son by the crock was my parents forcing me to knock on my schoolmates homes on Sundays, to be laughed at in school on Monday!

  The horror!
• 

  wednesday

  Well, wild life, even domestic animals, are just too unpredictable to do this. Sure he is really good at what he does . Ahouls hw bew using his infant to entertain us all? . What would we say if the crock had attacked him and the infant? The public is outraged and i don't blame them. Perhaps he will think twice before doing that again. Now at what age it becomes ok=ie say he wants to train his son to follow in his footsteps, I don't know.

  Agree Shelia, there are children in terrible danger and starving everywhere, but Steve should not have done what he did.
• 

  Stephanus

  I must admit, GMFH, that I was thinking along similar lines: that if the boy doesn't actually like all the croc and snake stuff, he's in for a rough 18 or so years!

  But you can bet your bottom dollar that the Department of Community Services will now be watching this boy like a hawk, regardless of actual danger to him. And as Sheila says, there are cases involving kids in real danger that they'll be overlooking accordingly...
• 

  Lady Lee

  OK Hold on here I saw the clip on the news and I'm glad he has promised Protective Services it won' thappen again

  It wasn't that long ago that a trainer was seriously mauled - an adult.

  What if the croc decided he hadn't had enough. What if the croc for some odd reason did decide to attack? It happens. To think otherwise is stupid. Trainers and handlers might be able to predict what an animal will do most of the time. But would I want to take the chance that that one time the croc decides he wants the trainers's leg? What happens to the baby if the croc attacks the trainer?

  Just plain stupid if you ask me.

  I never let my kids play in the street even if it was a quiet street. There is always a nut who decides to speed down those quiet residential streets.

  There are a lot of other ways to familiarize children with their surroundings. Behind a glass wall would be perfect in this case. Besides at one month old the baby can barely see past a couple of feet. What really is this "dad" teaching his kid at that age? Or is he just showing off.

  Sorry no awards to this parent or the mother either