The Lesson from Steve Irwin's Death

This man, though he may have had a grand passion for nature, was steadily destroying what should consist of a respectful relationship between humans and wild animals. What he spent his life doing was showing the public exactly how not to approach and treat animals and claiming he was "a proffessional". His methods were successful at gaining the public eye, but at the cost of these animals. He portrayed wildlife in their natural habitat but he provoked them to act unnaturally. He put a great deal of unnecessary stress on animals and created situations dangerous for both himself and the focal animal. This only promotes the already wrong idea that human and animal should stand shoulder to shoulder, already we have adults going to lengths to approach a giant buffalo and pushing their children closer for a good photograph. Humans already have the wrong idea and a grand lack of respect for wildlife and here comes Mr. Irwin, ballooning that idea to the breaking point. Well I hope that people stop to think, as they mourn his death, that a lesson comes with it.