The Death of Steve Irwin is sad for many around the world but in strange sort of way you can tell that from his life that is the way he wanted to go. In this interview below he speaks about what and why he did the things he did.

There are thousands of tribute videos on youtube- google videos and elsewhere to this man who did so much for wildlife - he had his controversy who didn't - or doesn’t.

He was a 'fair dinkum' mate who helped the world bridge the gap between animals and people.

We interviewed Steve a few years back on Palawan at the CFI there - doing a story for the Inside story. We popped in with a group of people hopping off of a chopper jut outside the wire and walking into the office. Dr. Jerry Ortega was running the place then - Jerry gave us a proper scolding for spooking the crocs - our Air Force Pilots had given us a quick tour of Puerto Princesa.

Steve was a little subdued... but still even in the quick interview showed the flashes of what is seen on TV then, We later found out our chopper a big UH-1 Huey- had come at the worst possible time - breeding day at the croc farm. We never saw crocs move so fast- as well as a film crew hopping to get out of the way in the pens below! When the huge salt water crocs were being filmed!!! Here comes this 'other film crew' flying in on WHUP-WHUP-WHUP talk about spoiling the moment.

I know I have some video of the interview form my own camera - and other videos as well of Irwin from his short Palawan trip. This was circa 1993 - we still have pictures somewhere too. Not the best meeting – there were other we had… none as eventful as the other meeting.

I hope somewhere in the files of the Inside Story the video is there… If I remember Tita Fe and Ayen were really excited about the chance meeting and saved the tapes from the Inside Story somewhere.

Anyhow…

The way Steve went seems to have been the way most people expected him to go- sad as the whole thin is- as a person who could like a Doctor Doolittle talk almost it seemed with the Animals and in the element they were in make people understand the others of our world we share it with.

The best tribute I have seen was on Jay Leno’s show where Jay said Steve was the best Ambassador Australia ever had. So true… Mr. Irwin will be missed… I watched a couple of shows on the Animal planet today. Listening to him as full of life he described the feeding habits of large croc t the Australia Zoo. He’s still with us… I hope they keep his shows on the air because it one of the best tools of education for children in a easy light hearted way for them to learn about the creatures history has taught us to fear.

I have to say Jay ‘s Ambassador analogy is wrong – Steve could have been or should have been the Peoples ambassador to Animals and vice versa.