This morning, we heard the sad news of the untimely death of Steve Irwin, an Australian animal lover and conservationist, better known as “The Crocodile Hunter.”

Steve Irwin was known for his daring, yet controlled encounters with wild animals of all sorts, ranging from crocodiles and snakes, to kangaroos, and just about anything in-between. I was sad to hear the news of his death – I always enjoyed watching his shows on Animal Planet, a cable channel devoted to animals. Irwin had many shows, including Croc Files and The Crocodile Hunter. He was always funny and entertaining, and yet his shows had a point. He always wanted to stress the importance of taking care of nature, and preserving the habitats of the animals he worked with, and loved. Irwin took calculated risks with the animals; he knew they were dangerous, but he was well trained in how to handle them. His death was the result of a freak accident, not because of any carelessness on his part.

According to reports, he was swimming and working on an underwater documentary. He swam over a sting ray, and the animal’s tail snapped up, and the barb pierced Irwin’s chest, puncturing his heart. He died almost immediately.

I hope that Irwin will be remembered for all the good he did for the world of animals and nature. He worked to protect and preserve the animals he loved so much. He was not careless or reckless. He was quite the opposite. He was very careful, and knew what he was doing. I hope people are not critical of him as a result of his tragic death. He was doing something he loved, and something he was good at. God bless him and his family. His death is a loss to us all, whether we are human or not.