Just watch while I poke him with a stick...

I just had to say how sad I was to hear about Steve Irwin dying yesterday. I don't think I've enjoyed watching nature documentaries as much in my whole life as when I saw the 'Crocodile Hunter' for the first time about 7 years ago.

Oddly enough, it was the sound of my Dad shrieking (he never has before or since) that drew me into the room that day, where I found him bouncing up and down in his chair and pointing at the TV shouting, "Just look at this crazy bastard! Look what he's doing!!' There on the screen was the khaki-clad, bemulleted Mr Irwin. Holding some kind of spitting cobra by the tail, as it turned out... Obviously, I was an instant convert.

Since then, I have laughed my metaphorical ass off for many years while watching him harrass various animals, sometimes with a stick, sometimes without. Watching David Attenborough squatting and whispering some 400 metres away from the action just didn't seem the same. My personal favourite Irwin quote, amongst all the 'git on him Wes!' and 'Isn't she a BEAUTY!' business has to be from the episode where they were building new enclosures for crocs in India and putting them into their new homes. After the croc breaking its original stone enclosure with its head whilst being removed, the very grumpy reptile was refusing to go to the water and enjoying savaging the film crew much more.

Steve then decided to 'rile him up' by grabbing the crocodile's tail in the hope of getting it in the water. The croc basically tried to eat him immediately and then slunk into its pool looking very smug while Steve ran vertically up a metal fence at around 40 mph. Very impressive. After he had climbed down covered in sweat and probably some other fluids, he sat by the fence and marvelled at the impressive might of the crocodile. Evidently the exitement had robbed him of the power of speech, because all he could stammer out repeatedly was "My GOD, THE POWER.... The...The...POWER...The power...." Needless to say, The Pook and myself have made this quote our own, and say it in full with broad Aussie accents whenever we see an impressive feat. (It's always good when a scrawny man is struggling with something heavy. )

Ah. Steve Irwin. You rocked!