Farewell to the Crocodile Hunter

Today a huge tribute and memorial service was held for Steve Irwin:

"Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin was remembered Wednesday by his eight-year-old daughter Bindi as "my hero" and a man working to change the world and help save endangered wildlife. "My daddy taught me so many things," she told 5,000 people attending a public memorial service for the much-loved conservationist and television personality at the family’s Australia Zoo at Beerwah in Queensland state. "I will miss him every day," she said, adding that her father wanted people "to learn to love all the animals." (Watch Bindi’s tribute: "My daddy was my hero" — 0:18) Irwin, 44, died on September 4 when the barb from a stingray pierced his chest while he was filming for a television show on the Great Barrier Reef, off the northeast coast of Australia. His family held a private funeral service for him on September 9 at the zoo. Irwin’s father Bob urged the audience not to grieve for his son, but rather to grieve for the animals, who had lost "the best friend they ever had." (Watch Russell Crowe, Irwin’s father and others remember their friend — 1:59) Australian country singer John Williamson sang his trademark "True Blue" song that Irwin loved. Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who opened the memorial service, said Irwin touched not just the hearts of Australians, but those of millions of people around the world in a very special way. "He did that because he had that quality of being genuine, of being authentic, of being unconditional and having a great zest for life. "Throughout his all-too-short life he demonstrated a love for the two things that ought to matter more to all of us than anything else — his love of his family and his love of his country." There was one empty seat at Irwin’s Crocoseum — the one set aside for the "Crocodile Hunter" himself. Dressed in khaki, Irwin’s widow, American-born Terri, daughter Bindi and son Bob, 2, made their first public appearance since Irwin’s death.

All the news networks broadcasted the memorial service and I suspect tomorrow morning the service will headline all the national papers.  It is still sad to see the Crocodile Hunter go.