Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter

Crikey, mates. Who could have imagined the world would lose Steve Irwin in a freak accident with a normally shy stingray?

Irwin, 44, died after his heart was pierced by the serrated and poisonous spine of a stingray. The accident occurred as Irwin was shooting a new television show on the Great Barrier Reef.

Irwin was beloved the world over for his commitment to wildlife conservation and to educating the globe about its wild inhabitants. Although there are a number of television programs of this genre, Irwin stood out for his effervescent personality and his catch phrase "Crikey!", which he often exclaimed upon escaping a close call with a snake, a crocodile or a lion.

Irwin was wildly popular but had, in recent years, been criticized for getting too close to animals during the filming of various productions. In 2004, there was considerable public outcry when Irwin fed a large crocodile in a zoo pen while holding his month-old son. Irwin insisted that he did not intend to put his son in danger.

As ill-advised as that episode was, the truth is the public fed on the khaki-clad Irwin's seemingly fearless interactions with wild beasts. He developed a loyal following and used the platform to educate the world about endangered animals and their threatened habitats. To that end, he used some of his television wealth to buy land for natural habitat. He also ran a wildlife park for crocodiles, kangaroos, koalas and possums. Although Irwin lacked a college education, he was considered by many experts to be one of the most knowledgeable reptile authorities in the world.

Family was central to Irwin's life and conservation values. His parents, a plumber and nurse respectively, left their chosen professions to open a reptile and wildlife preserve in Queensland, Australia, in 1970. About 20 years later, Irwin took over the park, Australia Zoo, when his parents retired. He parlayed his lively daily feeding shows into a wildly successful television show, "Crocodile Hunter," that has reached some 200 million people.

His wife, Terri, often appeared on camera with Irwin to further their shared mission of wildlife preservation. Their young son, Bob, and daughter, Bindi Sue, occasionally took part.

For all of the risk-taking that was Irwin's trademark, it is somewhat ironic that he died in a freak accident with an animal biologists say is odd in appearance but normally shy. Even in death, Irwin has taught the world about yet another animal species. What a strange, but fitting, tribute to a man committed to sharing his vast knowledge of wild creatures and conservation.