Morreu Steve Irwin, conhecido como "caçador de crocodilos"

as i got to the office on monday i got a "torpedo" (SMS/text message) from aussie friend, Karl, who is living in Brasil, telling me about the death of Steve Irwin...

i expected he was finally eaten by a crocodile that got sick of him teasing the bastards, but then i read the online news and realised the story was different

but i didn't have to check the australian news, most of my brasilian colleagues already knew about the story and were asking if i was ok...here is one of the many online news articles here about him - the headline reads: "Death of Steve Irwin: known as the "crocodile hunter"

at first i was so shocked that they even knew his name - but then i recalled having previously seen steve irwin dubbed into spanish in guatemala and in estonian also...in the netherlands he was also flogging mobile phones....and seems he is well known here from the animal planet

it was interesting to me that someone who embarrassed me in a cultural cringe kind of way on a regular basis can be so well loved overseas...as a friend said, "he was an idiot, but a good idiot" - he did a lot for interest in and protection of the environment and wildlife

this article from "The Australian" gives some insights into why he was so well loved abroad

as always, thoughts go out to his wife and two small children who will have to face life without him after the national hype and sorrow has passed