PETA Takes Shot At The Late ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin On His Birthday, Twitter Goes Off On Them
On Friday, February 22, Google Doodle decided to pay tribute to the late Steve Irwin as it would have been his 57th birthday. Fans around the world were thrilled to see Google honoring “The Crocodile Hunter,” but not everyone was happy with it. PETA decided to take a shot at both Google and Irwin for the doodle, but the people of Twitter simply weren’t having it.
For those who may not know or remember it, Steve Irwin passed away on September 4, 2006. At the age of 44, the “Crocodile Hunter” was filming an underwater documentary titled Ocean’s Deadliest when a completely freak accident took his life.
Filming At Batt Reef in Australia, Irwin came across an eight-foot-wide stingray while snorkeling and decided to get some footage. The stingray began thrashing and flailing its tail wildly in a stabbing motion and caught Irwin in the chest.
The barb of the stingray pierced Steve Irwin’s heart and he was rushed to a hospital but declared dead upon arrival. Ever since then, his family has kept his memory alive and continued to extend his legacy and animal safety mission as much as humanly possible.
On Friday, fans around the world honored him with birthday tweets and memories of the animal lover. Google even devoted their famous doodle to his memory in a respectful fashion.
CRIKEY!
Today's #GoogleDoodle celebrates #SteveIrwin, the legendary Australian wildlife advocate & TV personality whose bravery & passion opened the eyes of millions to the wonders of wildlife. ?
Explore the full slideshow Doodle here ? https://t.co/z8PPgDaXfr pic.twitter.com/mGtpwSuqzL
— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) February 22, 2019
Numerous fans were sharing the Google Doodle and loved seeing it, but the People for the Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA) hated it. Not only were they not happy with Google, but they hopped on their official Twitter account to take a shot at the late animal lover Irwin.
“#SteveIrwin was killed while harassing a ray; he dangled his baby while feeding a crocodile & wrestled wild animals who were minding their own business. Today’s #GoogleDoodle sends a dangerous, fawning message. Wild animals are entitled to be left alone in their natural habitats.”
It may be needless to say, but there were not many people who were happy with PETA’s tweet on Steve Irwin. Not only did they ridicule his career and time on this earth, but they also took a shot at how he ended up losing his life.
Numerous twitter users cursed out PETA and chose to rip on them in any way imaginable. Some chose to post pictures of steaks or meals consisting of chicken, but others decided to speak their minds and let PETA know what they really thought about them.
PETA is an embarrassment to animal rights
— Zack Bornstein (@ZackBornstein) February 23, 2019
Steve Irwin saved the lives of countless animals in his sanctuaries. He helped educate millions globally about animals’ needs and ways of life. He loved animals and cared for them greatly. You do some good work helping animals PETA, but how about some balance and more respect… https://t.co/olpLCvKepN
— Dan Clark (@DanClarkSports) February 22, 2019
Some users such as @ThisIsTheFatRat chose to let the world know that they used to support PETA, but the tweet about Irwin stopped that.
“I supported @peta with a fixed amount of money every month. That was until I read this tweet.”
So many people spoke out in support of Steve Irwin and against PETA for not only choosing to rip the man on his birthday, but to almost make fun of his death. Google Doodle simply tried to honor a man who loved animals, supported them, and tried to teach the world about them, but as usual, something else got in the way.
