Crikey, Jennifer. Couldn't you have refrained from knocking Steve, one day after his tragic death?

Your clinical appraisal of Steve's endeavours reveals your insensitivities to a unique Ozzie who had the courage of his convictions and without fear or favour!

Are you condoning the return of the big game hunters to take out our crocs? I am not opposed to humane culling if numbers of certain species become uncontrollable, however, for you to appear to promote the sport of "guns for fun" is simply repulsive!

Surely, we are not that cash strapped that we would be forced to revert to the barbaric practices of the past!

The timing of your comments too was particularly indecent, since only today, two "charming gentlemen" were charged over the obscene shooting of 40 odd seals.

Jennifer

I totally concur with dickie's first sentence. You have shown remarkably poor taste. Shame on you.

Kay

It is interesting that Jenifer noted the Chinese River Dolphin. This species is on the verge of extinction (only a few dozen, and as few as thirteen are thought to survive). Exactly what pragmatic approach do you propse we take to saving this creature? The population has been decimated, not primarily because of poaching (although illegal hunting has occured), but because of chemical pollution, the building of dams, entanglement in fishing nets and prey reduction.

How on Earth would we implement a quota system on a species that has been reduced to such incredibly low numbers? In what manner would a "pragmatic" approach to the conservaation of this species occur? I would have to agree with Steve Irwin on this case.

ChrisC,

As I wrote in the article, I think Steve Irwin made a unique contribution to conservation... showing us animals up close and personal.

But I can't remember him showing us pictures of the baiji, the freshwater dolphins in the Yangtze? Perhaps if he had, there might have been a great effort towards conservation of the baiji?

This is what I wrote with respect to the baiji:

"The survival of tigers in India, freshwater dolphins in China and elephants in Africa may require a less personal and more pragmatic approach to wildlife conservation."

I wasn't think 'quotas' w.r.t. the dophins when I wrote 'pragmatic' in the above sentence, but I was thinking quotas in the context of Africa's elephants.

I have put some effort recently into researching the baiji... and thinking about the potentially most pragmatic approach to their conservation.

Dr Webb is right on the science but Steve Irwin was a victor in the publicity stakes. Contolled harvesting of crocs would be a wise move. Thats got nothing to do with knocking the bloke.

[Deleted and posted suspended for one month.]