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Steve Irwin, in full Stephen Robert Irwin, (born February 22, 1962, Essendon, Victoria, Australia—died September 4, 2006, off the coast of Port Douglas, Queensland), Australian wildlife conservationist, television personality, and educator who achieved worldwide fame as the exuberant host of The Crocodile Hunter (1992–2006) television series and related documentaries. With frenetic energy and an engaging boyish enthusiasm, Irwin led his viewers on recklessly close encounters with deadly and usually endangered animals, notably crocodiles, in Australia’s Outback and later in the jungles of Asia and Africa.
Although sometimes criticized for disturbing wildlife unnecessarily or for indulging in showmanship, Irwin claimed that his risk-taking style helped to raise concern for threatened but dangerous animals and enabled viewers to appreciate directly their power, beauty, and uniqueness.