Posted on 01/02/2004 11:49:58 AM PST by UnklGene
'Crikey,' Steve Irwin's baby in a croc shocker -
Christine Caulfield - 03jan04
STEVE Irwin sparked outrage yesterday when he held his baby son a metre from the mouth of a crocodile at his Queensland zoo.
Child advocates branded the Crocodile Hunter reckless for holding one-month-old Bob while feeding the giant crocodile a dead chicken. Wife Terri looked on as Irwin then "walked" Bob to the crocodile pool at his Sunshine Coast wildlife park as the 4m reptile, named Murray, lurked nearby.
Irwin defended the stunt, saying the baby was never in danger.
"This kid has to grow up to be croc savvy," he told the Herald Sun.
"I guess what I am doing is teaching him to be completely familiar with crocodiles . . . There's no way known I would ever endanger my child."
But Irwin -- recently named Queenslander of the year -- now faces possible investigation by Queensland police, the Department of Families, and workplace safety officers.
The stunt was slammed by child support groups and likened to the furore caused by pop star Michael Jackson when he dangled his newborn baby over a balcony at a hotel in Germany in 2002.
Childhood Foundation chief Joe Tucci described Irwin's actions as outrageous.
"It's neglect, it's reckless, it's a form of endangerment," he said.
"I don't think we should use children as props, and definitely not in situations that are going to put them in such danger."
Mr Tucci said Irwin could faces criminal charges if he continued to put his baby in harm's way.
"He wasn't thinking about the risks to his child. Children need adults to protect them. They should not be involved in any kind of entertainment that puts them at risk," he said.
"Kids under five are unpredictable. It's only one small slip away from a bad accident. He can make his own choices, but his child can't."
Australian Family Association spokesman Bill Muehlenberg said Irwin's conduct was tantamount to child abuse.
Mr Muehlenberg said Irwin had no right to put his baby in peril.
"Most parents would cringe at the sight of such things. One slip, one fall and he is the crocodile's lunch," he said.
Yesterday's show, for the public and the media, was billed as Bob's "croc-feeding debut".
"Good boy, Bob," Irwin said as Murray's jaws snapped shut on the food.
"He's one month old, so it's about time Bob got out there and did his first croc demo," Irwin told the excited crowd.
Irwin later told the Herald Sun: "If I had known it was going to cause a ruckus I would have thrown them (the media) out by their ears.
"I was in complete control of the crocodile. Robert was tucked right in my arm. It is far more dangerous to pack your kid up and go out on the road."
Irwin's wife Terri backed Bob's place in the show.
"When I put him back in the pram he had big eyes and he was smiling and it was a wonderful sensory experience for him. He dug it," she said.
Queensland Families Minister Judy Spence said she would request the unedited video tapes of the incident.
"I have seen the television footage and while I have no doubt the Irwins love their children very much, I believe it was an error of judgment to place a baby in a potentially dangerous situation," Ms Spence said.
"The department is interested in examining all of the information including a copy of the unedited video and the safety precautions and protocols Mr Irwin was following."
Queensland Police confirmed last night they had received complaints from the public about the incident.
Same here.
I don't either, but I think the differnce here is that at the zoo, feeding the animals is part of the children's daily experience. If they only participated for the cameras I might be inclined to agree. According to the bio on the Crocodile Hunter website, his daughter was a part of that life from day 1.
In the video I saw of this incident, I didn't see Steve dangle his newborn baby in front of a crocodile.
What's wrong with caring about endangered species? Caring about the environment does not make one a leftist.
...and more people and their kids are killed by the family dog, year in and year out. Shall we arrest people for child abuse for owning a large dog? Or even a small one, since a Pomeranian recently killed a 6-month old todder?
Here's what I know: Steve Irwin knows far more about crocodiles than any of the people who are "horrified" by what he did. If he thought it was safe enough for his own child, I'll take his opinion over any of the ninnies who are falling over in a faint going, "but it was a wild animal, eek!"
That "wild animal" is one that has been hand-fed and socialized to humans for years and years, and Irwin knows it well. And I'm sure he chose the most predictable croc he owns for this event, just as any parent would.
The same people who are freaking out over having the kid at a crocodile feeding probably think nothing of walking their own kids along a busy street, which is a more dangerous act.
Yeah, they're slow on land I think. I see worse all the time. I hate it when I'm around someone with a baby and they start doing the throwing-them-up-in-the-air-and-catching-them routine. I don't equate the level of danger involved with that stunt with the few seconds of thrill.
I think the difference is that those who were killed and maimed trusted the animals they were killed and maimed by, whereas Irwin doesn't go around hugging his crocs.
I saw this on the news earlier and they actually SAID he dangled the baby in front of the croc! How ridiculous!
Yes, an accident could have happened. But the odds are low. It didn't bother me much to watch the footage. It bothers me much more that he named his daughter after a croc!
But if you believe in the Bible, man has dominion over these animals, and obviously thousands/millions of species have already passed without any apparent harm to us or the planet. Name, for example, one single animal species that we absolutely cannot do without.
The point is not to wantonly go out and kill kangaroo rats for the hell of it; but if one gets in my way when I'm plowing a field to feed people, you can damn sure bet I'm not following any government order to protect his little nest.
I think Roy of Seigfried and Roy proved that point.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.